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THE

AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN

A HANDY GUIDE TO

THE FORMATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE
FLOWER GARDEN.

AND

THE CULTIVATION OP GAKDEN FLOWERS.

SHIRLEY HIBBERD,

AUTHOR OF “RUSTIC ADORNMENTS FOR HOMES OF TASTE,” “ BRAMBLES AND BAT
LEAVES,” ETC.

illustrate fcntf) Cutuure ©la trS antt WtQtfs <£nsraSmt(j£.

LONDON:

GROOMBRIDGE AND SONS,
5, PATERNOSTER ROW.
MDCCCLXXV.

BARRETT,

LONDON :

SONS AND CO., PRINTERS,
SEETHING LANE.

CONTENTS,

PAGE

INTRODUCTION . 1

CHAPTER I.

Foeming the Flo wee G-aeden . 4

CHAPTER II.

The Paeteeee . 15

CHAPTER III.

The Bedding System and the Plants eequieed eoe it . 83

CHAPTER IY

Cultivation oe Bedding Flants . 46

CHAPTER Y.

A Selection op Bedding Plants . 65

CHAPTER YI.

Haedy Boedee Flo wees . 94

CHAPTER VII.

A Selection op Haedy Heebaceous Plants . , . 1C3

CHAPTER YIII.

Tender Boedee Flo wees . 174

CHAPTER IX.

Haedy Annuals and Biennials . .

188

CONTENTS,

CEAPTEE X.

PAGE

The Eose Garden . . . 201

CEAPTEE XI.

The American Garden . . . 216

CEAPTEE XII.

The Subtropical Garden . 222

CEAPTEE XIII.

The Perpetual Flower Garden . . . 238

CEAPTEE XIV.

The Eockery and Alpine Garden . 246

CEAPTEE XY.

Flowers for Winter Bouquets . 256

CEAPTEE XYI.

The Making and the Management of the Lawn . . 262

CEAPTEE XYII.

Garden Yermin . 270

CEAPTEE XVIII.

Additional Selections . 276

CEAPTEE XIX.

Eeminders of Monthly Work . 280

THE

AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

INTRODUCTION.

ct Maud has a garden of roses
And lilies fair on a lawn ;

There she walks in her state
And tends npon bed and bower.

And thither I climbed at dawn,

And stood by' her garden gate ;

A lion ramps at the top,

He is clasp’ t by a passion flower.”

Tennyson.

A FLOWER garden is intended for tlie cultivation and display
of flowers; "but any book npon tbe subject, however small,
must treat of other matters, not as subordinate to the leading
idea, but as necessary accompanying features. Hence, in the
chapters that follow, some attention is paid to the shrubbery,
the lawn, the walks, the greenhouse, and the window ; for to
pass them by, in order to treat of flowers only, would be to
court imperfection, while, to bestow over-much attention on
them would be to thrust into a secondary place the very
feature that should take the lead. It will be understood,
therefore, that this book, though a very small cne, is at least
comprehensive in purport, and aims at providing its possessor
with useful guidance in tbe formation and management of the
flower garden, according to the generally accepted meaning
of that term. It might have been entitled, “ The Pleasure
Garden in Little,” but its object and scope will, no doubt, be
better understood by the simple and commonplace title that
has been adopted. As gardens vary in extent, in charao

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

teristic features, and in the requirements of privacy in one
place and public display in another, it is simply impossible,
in a work of such limited dimensions and pretensions as the
present, to attempt an exhaustive treatment, either of the
whole subject, or any one of its more important constituent
parts. It must be understood , then, that while the attempt
is made to gratify a variety of tastes, and accommodate a
number of different circumstances, a somewhat contracted
boundary of the field of operations is kept in view from first
to last. In other words, if this book should prove useful at
all, it will be to such as possess what may be called “ homely”
gardens as distinguished from great and grand gardens, and
especially from gardens that are kept for purposes of show.

It is, above all things, necessary in a book of this kind,
to recognize at every step the requirements of nature, and
the best established principles of art as distinct altogether
from individual taste and fancy. If it is herein stated that
roses will not grow like house-leeks on tiled roofs, nor rhodo¬
dendrons in beds of chalk, those points must be considered
settled, for they do not admit of discussion. But when it is
further added that beds of roses do not assort tastefully with
beds of geraniums, that coniferous trees are out of place in a
flower border, there is room for difference of opinion, and the
reader is at liberty to quarrel with the author to any extent,
and set at nought every one of his advices and suggestions.
Perhaps there will be less said about taste than practice in
the following pages ; but it is a difficult matter to write on a
subject which has occupied one’s attention, both as a business
and a hobby, for a quarter of a century, and on many matters
connected with which distinct opinions have been formed,
without being occasionally betrayed into expression of those
opinions, or, at the least, of indicating the direction in which
intentionally-concealed opinions tend. On matters of practice,
the practical man has within certain limits which propriety
will point out, the right to dictate. On matters of taste,
dictation is equally unjust and absurd. When we encounter
subjects that divide opinions amongst those who study them,
we must be careful to avoid dogmatism, and that spirit of
self-satisfaction which would make “ I say” a law binding on
all the world. But when the range of opinion is limited, and
its limits are appreciable only by the aid of technical know¬
ledge, it is another matter, and the man who knows mny

TIIE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN,

proceed to lay down directions for those who need them,
provided he will always keep in mind to be correct, and
explicit, and as brief and modest as possible. On these prin¬
ciples I propose to labour in the preparation of this and other
works intended to follow it ; and I make the declaration at
starting that, as regards principles, there shall never, through
any carelessness on my part, arise the shadow of a mis¬
understanding between me and my readers. I shall have to
deal chiefly with matters of fact, and hope always to have the
discernment to keep them distinct from matters of fancy.

S. H.

GARDEN-SEAT BY DEANE AND CO.

CHAPTER L

FORMING THE FLOWER GARDEN.

Whatever the dimensions, the position, and the purpose of a
flower garden, whether for private enjoyment or public dis¬
play, perfect success in its formation and management cannot
be insured, unless a few necessary conditions are complied
with. We may find examples in abundance of good and bad
gardens, and shall not be long in making the discovery that a
great display of flowers is not alone sufficient to afford the
pleasure which a cultivated taste will always expect as the
proper reward for the expense and care that have been
incurred in its production. During the past twenty years
there has been a constantly-increasing tendency to superficial
glare and glitter in garden embellishment, to the neglect of
the more solid features that make a garden interesting and
attractive, not only to-day and to-morrow, but “ all the year
round.” The magnificent displays of bedding plants in our
public parks and gardens have, without question, favoured a
false estimate of the proper uses of gardens in general. We
have seen the development of an idea which, in consequence,
regards private gardens as exhibition grounds, and tender
plants of the geranium, verbena, and petunia type as their only
proper occupants. hTow, it will be our business in subsequent
chapters to treat upon the bedding system, and the plants that
constitute its primary material elements ; but it is important
here, with the question of forming the flower garden before
us, to take note of the fact that the modern flower garden, as
known to tens of thousands of persons, is a poor, ginger-
bread-entity, ephemeral in respect of its best features, and
while demanding but little talent for its production, offering
an equally small return in the way of intellectual enjoyment.
Before flowers are thought of, a garden should be provided
for the sustenance of a suitable extent of shrubbery, grass-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

turf, and other permanent features, to which the flowers will
in due time serve for embellishment, and, in return for this
service, have the advantage of a sufficient extent of leafage
and verdure to heighten their beauties by harmonious sur¬
roundings. A garden rich in trees and shrubs, with ample
breadth of well-kept lawn, will be enjoyable at all seasons
without the aid of flowers. A few simple borders, well
stocked with mixed herbaceous plants, such as primulas,
pseonies, lilies, phloxes, hollyhocks, and carnations, would, in
many instances, afford more real pleasure and ever- changing
interest than the most gorgeous display of bedding plants
hemmed in between two glaring walls, or exposed on a great
treeless, turfless place like the blazing fire at the mouth of a
coal-pit. But given the good permanent substratum, the
well-kept garden of greenery, with its family trees and its
interesting plants that one can talk to, and its snug nooks
filled with violets and primroses, and its mossy banks that en¬
tice the early sloping sunshine, and its cool coverts, where ease
may be enjoyed amid the summer’s heat, and then a brave
display of flowers becomes the crowning feature. The argu¬
ment may be summed up in this — that flowers alone do not
constitute a garden ; and when a garden has been provided
to receive them, the display should be adapted in extent
and character to the situation and its surroundings.

A considerable number of features are recognized as proper
to a flower garden. In respect of formation and management,
these may be considered as separate and distinct, and hereafter
it will be necessary to isolate them. But in the general plan
they should all be intimately related, as natural and necessary
developments of a comprehensive idea. The outer boundaries
of tree and shrub, the intersecting walks, the belts of ever¬
greens, the mixed borders, the air-inviting lawns — these com¬
bine in their relationships to create the want of a parterre ;
and if the garden is one of ample extent, several distinct
displays of flowers, or rather several little gardens, will be
admissible in consistency, and may be desirable for the
occupation and entertainment of the owner.

At this point it seems needful to unfold some elaborate
plans, but it will be safer to say that the compass of the
book does not admit of them, and that they would be more
proper to a treatise on the “ Pleasure Garden,” which this is
not ; for it is only one department of the pleasure garden

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

that really concerns ns. A few plans may, however, be useful
here, as affording suggestions ; and we offer them with the
qualifying remark that every separate garden needs a separate
plan adapted to its dimensions and position, and therefore
ready-made plans are but of secondary value. The two grand
requirements of the design for a garden necessitate a special
consideration of every special case. And what are those
two chief requirements ? To my thinking, the plan of a
garden should be such as to develop to the utmost the capa¬
bilities of the site, and represent the particular taste and
fancy of the owner. Whatever is attempted should be within
the possibility of a successful result, and no one should make
difficulties without first counting the cost. At every step the
wise gardener will ask Nature what she thinks about it. The
result will be equal avoidance of mistakes and attainment of
successes. Standard roses planted on grass turf, without any
space of open soil around them, never thrive. Yet every¬
where we see examples of this ridiculous blunder, and
entrance-courts that might be rich and stately are made
hideous with the starving sticks ostentatiously stuck about
the turf. Rhododendrons will not thrive in clay or heavy
loam, yet everywhere we see them planted with laurels,
aucubas, and such things, to last only as long as the ball of
peat planted with them suffices for their support, after which
they shrivel up, and, unless removed and burnt, disgrace the
garden. Bedding plants, almost without exception, require
to be fully exposed to sunshine, yet we see them planted in
shady places, where they soon become sickly, and cease to
flower, though those very same shady spots might have been
made beautiful by means of flowers that need not full ex¬
posure to sunshine. Every garden design, and every project
of garden furnishing, and every item of garden work, should
be governed by the consideration that it is hard work to fight
against Nature, and there is never a prospect of a conquest
worth obtaining. Those who will aim at development of the
capabilities of a garden will, in spite of the mistakes and
misfortunes that attend all enterprises, be pretty sure to
secure enjoyment in the end. Fortunately, if gardening is
pursued with earnestness, every soil, every situation, the
breezy hill-side and the smoky city, will be found to have
some capabilities which art can turn to account by patiently
accepting the teachings of Nature.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 7

In laying out a garden, it is impossible to foresee wliat
changes it may undergo as new wants arise, or as fancy, seek¬
ing a homely field of exercise, may dictate as “ improvements.”
It is therefore well (except in particular cases that need not
be provided for) to adopt in the first instance a simple plan
that will afford a fair basis for after elaboration, as circum¬
stances arise to necessitate it. Such a plan, in skeleton, is here
figured. It was drawn for a friend who had taken apiece of
roiigh, low-lying meadow-land, on which to build a house
and make a garden. It is drawn on a scale of fifty feet to the
inch. D R is the drawing-room, the windows of which look
upon a small neat lawn, dotted with coniferous trees and
clumps of rhododendrons. T is the terrace ; F T, plantation of
fruit-trees ; K G, kitchen-garden plots. The dotted lines show
the course of the drain-pipes, the land falling away from the
house somewhat rapidly. The conservatory, c, and the
boundary borders, s, need not be remarked upon, but the
other features demand a few words. In the first instance, the
ground presented a steeper slope than was desirable, and
being a clay soil heavily charged with moisture, the highest
part was selected for the house, and that was raised con¬
siderably by means of the earth taken out for the foundation.
Thus was formed the terrace, an excellent feature, for it com¬
mands an extensive view over a beautiful piece of country,
which was scarcely visible from the same spot, until a higher
level was obtained for the advantage of the house. The out¬
lying e H is an engine-house, which is quite excluded from the
terrace view by means of a few trees planted for the purpose.
The lawn is, of course, on a dead level, but beyond that point
the ground falls gently to the boundary in the rear, where
there is ample outlet for the drainage. Let us suppose now
that the proprietor takes in another piece of land for fruit and
vegetable culture, or gives up those things for the sake of
flowers. The plots below are available for any scheme con¬
sistent -with the capabilities of the place. On the pieces
marked F t may be formed a geometric garden, enclosed by
clipped hedges of yew, arbor vitae, or by a fence covered with
climbing roses. On the K G pieces may be formed a mixed
flower garden for hardy herbaceous plants, roses, and flowering
shrubs. And the extreme rear plot marked B B, for bush
fruits, may be planted with a mixture of the most elegant
low-growing, deciduous trees, to make a fringe of wood to

SKELETON PLAN FOR A VILLA GARDEN

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

mark the extent of the property without obscuring the view
over the country from the terrace.

The next example is a complete plan, adapted to a peculiar
conformation of ground. It represents a beautiful and inte¬
resting garden, the completeness of which has been arrived at

COMPLETE PLAN OF VILLA GARDEN.

by means of successive alterations and expansions of the
original skeleton plan. A few remarks on this will, no doubt,
be acceptable to the reader.

In the formation of a garden plan, one of the chief
requisites, a good supply of water, must be considered — and

TIIE amateur’s flower garden,.

within reasonable limits the more watering-places tlic better.
Sucli are marked (w) in the accompanying plan. With the
aid of connectable lengths of gutta percha pipe they are found
sufficient.

The front garden being only separated from the liigli road
by light iron railings, is principally stocked with evergreens,
the border being filled with bedding plants. A screen of
trees effectually divides the vegetable garden (kg) from the
flower parterres and lawns (l);GE the gardener’s residence; H,
a hawhaw, separating field and plantation from flower garden ;
11, in the centre of the plan, is a rockery, encircling a basin
containing gold and silver fish, a raised central vase, and four¬
teen grouped fountain jets. A summer-house (s) is situate at
the bottom of the garden next the field. From hence a view of
the open country is obtainable, s R is a bed devoted to
standard roses, d g shows a geometric garden situate near the
greenhouse ; F is a fernery with rockwork arches. The
circles on the lawns denote positions of favourite trees ; 0 is
an octagonal greenhouse, in Crystal Palace style. In the
centre are tables and chairs, and the gas being laid on, it is a
favourite resort for summer evenings.

At the side of this conservatory is another fountain and
fernery, the former being supplied from a tank hidden among
the trees. A waste pipe in the upper vase, forms the means
of supply to a small overshot water-wheel in the rockwork.
From this wheel the water flows to a lower basin. Gisa
greenhouse in connection with the residence — at one end is a
collection of exotic ferns, ten jet fountains, miniature cascade
and turbines — at the other end is an ironwork fountain, with
ornamental basin.

The forcing and orchid-houses are to the extreme right,
and hidden by a screen of trees and shrubs. A shows the
position of American beds stocked with hardy rhododendrons,
azaleas, kalmias, andromedas, and heaths.

The limits of this work will not admit of any elaborate
disquisition on the principles of taste in gardening, or on the
mechanism of garden construction ; but a few practical sug¬
gestions may prove useful to many readers who desire to form
new gardens or improve old ones. It is desirable in the
first instance to secure good roads and walks, good lawns, and
good shrubberies, before thinking much about flowers. These
three primary elements should be -.provided in the best form

tiie amateur’s flower garden. 11

possible, and with such a forecast of possible future operations
that none of the work shall have to be undone during the
remainder of a lifetime. The system of drainage should be
ample, and all the measures adopted to remove surplus water
from the ground should have their counterparts in measures
devised for putting water on when required. Thousands of
people can show us bright flowers in summer time, in juxta¬
position with grass turf burnt to the semblance of a worn-
out mat. Generally speaking, bedding plants require no
water after they have had good nursing for a fortnight
after being planted, and the time usually wasted in keeping
them watered might be better employed in flooding the grass
periodically during droughty weather, with the aid of flexible
hose, connected with a supply adapted to the purpose. Yery
much is thought of a south aspect, but for the enjoyment of a
garden from the windows, a north aspect is invaluable. You
look out during the whole of the forenoon on the sun-liglited
garden, from a cool, shady room, and nine-tenths of all the
flowers that occupy the view turn their faces towards the
window ; or, to speak more correctly, look southwards, and
that practically is the same thing. Nor is it a small matter
to have a shady piece of turf in immediate contiguity with
the house, for conversation with friends, and for the games
that are proper to the summer season. In arranging a garden
with a view to the fullest development of its capabilities, it
is well to remember that, as a rule, evergreen shrubs will
thrive in partial shade, and a few of them in profound shade ;
that flowers, as a rule, need the fullest exposure to sunshine,
though the exceptions to this rule are many, while grass turf
will thrive in sun and shade, if nowhere heavily shaded, and
may be employed to connect and harmonize all kinds of scenes,
from the highly artistic to the extremely rustic. It is de¬
sirable that every garden should present a few distinct
features, or at least one feature, to give it a character of its
own. The owner must determine this matter by a considera¬
tion of the possibilities of the situation, the nature of the
means at command, and the particular taste to be gratified.

In respect of garden furniture, we can only find room in
this chapter for reference to Edgings, and this subject we
cannot pass, for trivial as it may seem, it is a source of much
trouble and vexation. In open breezy places, dwarf box
makes the best edging in the world, and the cheapest in the
end, no matter what its cost in the first instance. If a green

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

edging is desired in a spot shaded by walls or trees, box is
useless, but common evergreen euonymus will take its place
tolerably well. Grass verges are beautiful, if well kept ; but
they entail a lot of labour to keep them trim, and it is always
a question if the time spent in clip — clip — clipping them might

not be devoted to something better. Well-made edgings of
ivy have a solid, rich appearance ; but it would render a large
garden heavy in character, and an example of a good idea
overdone, to employ ivy edging everywhere. There are three
sorts of substantial edgings available for different parts of
the garden. If we consider the entrance-court first, we must
have either clipped box, clipped yew, or bold sharp bands of
ivy, or a handsome stone moulding, or its equivalent in some

imitative material, such as Ran-
some, Rosher, or Austin can
supply. These manufacturers
turn out substantial edgings of
artificial stone in an almost
endless variety of patterns, from
the extremely simple to the
most elaborate, those of an orna¬
mental character being admir¬
ably designed. An immense
variety of edgings are manufac¬
tured of tile, brick, and even
glass, and these are more or less
good, according to material,
manufacture, and price. They are, as a rule, objectionably
frail ; they do not make sufficient foothold to keep true in
lino for any length of time, and they are apt to crumble to
powder if a hard frost catches them immediately after heavy

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

ram or snow. The best cheap tile I have yet seen is one made
for me by Mr. Looker, of Kingston-on-Thames, for supporting
a border, which stands above the walk in an out-of-the-way
part of the garden. It is in form an unequal triangle, nine
inches high, and six inches broad, carefully made, and well
baked. If set on a true, firm bed, it is practically immov¬
able, and proof against all weathers. The border it supports
is planted along the front line with a number of half-trailing
plants, which hang over the sloping front, and form a varied
fringe of beautiful vegetation, quite hiding the low red wall
of tiles, which gives the border its definite boundary. When
costly edging kerbs are put down, it is advantageous to bed
them on brick footings, the top line of which should be an
inch or so below the level of the gravel. This adds to their
strength and immobility.

In planting choice shrubs amongst trees, it is advisable to
take precautions against that
warfare of competing roots
by which frequently the
undergrowth of a plantation
is killed out. In the use of
shrubs worth special defence,
the plan shown in the figure
is admirable. Dig a hole of
a suitable size, say to mea¬
sure a yard and a half deep,
and a yard wide right and
left ; case the hole with
brickwork, and at a third of
the depth from the bottom
let in a platform of stone or
elm planks. On the plat¬
form lay down a bed of
broken pots, then fill up with suitable soil, and plant the shrub.
The vacant space beneath the platform will prevent the
roots of the big trees working up into the good soil provided
for the shrub. This is a costly mode of procedure, but in a
spot required to be richly furnished, it is to be recommended,
because it insures, amidst large trees, a free undergrowth of
the most beautiful evergreen shrubs, provided only there is
light enough to keep them healthy.

It is usually required of a writer on gardening to point out

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

how the principal features of a garden may be made to appear
greater and grander than they really are. I feel bound to say
that while I would insure for every reality a due degree of
importance, I would, except in a few peculiar cases, oppose
the introduction of deceptions of every kind. But it may
happen that a fantastic screen to hide an ugly object may afford
amusement to justify its adoption, and a humorous conceit in
a garden need not be of necessity despicable. As an example,
therefore, of a pardonable trick, here is a figure of a screen
which bears the designation “ elephant trap,” in a part of a
garden which overlooks a road that no one in the house desires
to see. The trees in the scene are real ; but the contrivance
is a delusion — the screen being flat, and the seemingly long
winding path being taken up a gentle rise by a curve which
lengthens it without seeming to do so. It answers its purpose,
and that is one proof of merit.

AN ELEPHANT TRAP.

CHAPTER II.

THE PARTERRE.

Geometric gardens may be designed on paper by selecting
some part of the pattern of a carpet or wall paper, or by
placing a few bits of coloured paper in the debuscope, and
then copying the multiple scheme so produced. Numbers of
designs have been obtained in that way, and about one in a
hundred have actually turned out worthy ; the rest were not
worth the paper they were drawn on, unless it might be to
make burlesque of the bedding system. It is a most rare
event for a really complicated plan to prove effective, however
skilfully planted ; and so I begin this chapter by advising the
beginner to avoid the schemes which combine a great variety
of figures, such as ovals, hearts, diamonds, horns of plenty,
and true lovers’ knots. Elaborate designs are, of course, not to
be contemned, for we find them constituting important features
in many great gardens, and employing the highest artistic
talent in garden colouring. It is above all things necessary,
in an elementary book of this sort, to guard beginners against
making costly mistakes, and the formation of the parterre is
a business requiring more than ordinary caution to guard
against waste of time and money, and all the consequent
vexation and disappointment. In what we may call “ a quiet
garden” of limited dimensions, a few large beds, far separated
by well-kept turf will, in many cases, give far more satisfaction
than a distinctive geometric scheme, and necessitate, perhaps,
only a twentieth of the time and attention to keep them suit¬
ably gay, besides offering the peculiar advantage that each
bed may be planted to produce an effect of its own without
any special reference to the rest, so long as it is decidedly
different. The common repetition of oblongs and circles
which we meet with in public gardens, where long walks de¬
mand flowery dressings, is one of the most effective and satis-

16 tiie amateur’s flower garden.

factory, though always open to the accusation of an alliance
with commonplace and monotony. On the other hand, the
common repetition, on the margins of lawns in private gardens,
of circular beds contain iug standard roses, surrounded by
geraniums, verbenas, and other such stuff, is ineffective and
puerile. Gardens embellished in this way have no character
at all, they are mere confusions. Far better would it be to
concentrate the energies which the “ pincushion” beds con¬
sume to a poor purpose, on a neat and reasonably circum¬
scribed parterre, which would constitute a feature and afford
considerable interest. To be sure, it is easy to plant pincushion
beds, because they are scarcely co-related, but a parterre de¬
mands' talent, and that is not always available.

In a majority of instances, geometric gardens are laid out
on grass turf, and the green groundwork adds immensely to

the beauty of the flowers.
In elaborately furnished
gardens, a groundwork
of silver sand, with box
embroidery to define the
outlines and fill in the
angles, is employed in
an open space set apart
for the purpose, and the
scheme is enriched with
statuary, clipped yews,
laurels, cypresses, and
vases containing yuccas,
agaves, or masses of ge¬
raniums. The working
out of a great design
in coloured earths and
flower-beds is the most complicated, and, generally speaking,
perhaps the least satisfactory, form of the parterre. It has this
advantage, that, during winter, it affords “ something to look
at,” but the corresponding disadvantage is that nobody wants to
see it. A favourite idea with artists in this line of business is to
draw out, on a gigantic scale, a group of rose, shamrock, and
thistle in coloured earths and box embroidery, and while the
thing is new it looks tolerably well; but the majority of
people do not keep themselves sufficiently under control when
tempted to indulge a smile as they admire it. Generally

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

speaking, tie design vanishes in summer, that is to say, when
tlie oeds are full of flowers, the coloured earths that mark out,
the design are so completely extinguished that, even with a
key plan in one’s hand, it would be hard to see where the
thistle begins and the shamrock leaves off, and where, amidst
the confusion, the rose ought to be. The principal materials
employed for the intersecting walks in these designs, are
pounded Derbyshire spar (white), pounded brick (red),
pounded slate (blue), pounded coal (black), sifted gravel grit
(yellowish grey).

In planting the parterre it is as easy to make mistakes as
in designing it, and the most frequent errors are the employ¬
ment of primary colours in excessive quantity and strength,
and the neglect of neutral tints to soften it, and of brilliant
edgings to define it. The stereotyped repetition of scarlet
geraniums and yellow calceolarias is in the last degree vulgar
and tasteless,
and the com-

and blue are
better adapted
to delight sava¬
ges, than repre¬
sent the artistic
status of a civi-

lours marks a
great advance
in taste, and
strange to say,
the most perfect
examples of par¬
terre colouring
we have seen of
late years, have
been accomplished by leaves solely, in scenes from which
flowers were utterly excluded. Leaf-colours, however, are
of immense importance in connection with flowers, as any
good example of parterre colouring will prove. They afford

lized people.
The increasing
use of leaf co-

mon dispositions
of red, white,

the amateur’s flower garden.

material for boundary lines, for relief agents, and for marking
the rhythm of combinations. Every scheme that is to be
viewed as a whole, must be coloured as a whole, and with the
object of producing a complete and harmonious picture. What¬
ever the nature of the materials employed, certain principles
must be followed to insure a satisfactory result. The strong
colours must be spread pretty equally over the whole scheme
with neutral and intermediate tints to harmonize and combine
them. The colours containing most light, such as yellow,
white, and pink, should be placed in the outer parts of the
design, to draw it out to its full extent ; and the heavier
colours, such as scarlet, crimson, and purple, should occupy
the more central portions of the scheme. The most difficult
of all colours to dispose of satisfactorily is pure yellow, and its
related tints of buff and orange. A bed of yellow calceo¬
larias in the centre of a group will be pretty sure to spoil it,
no matter how skilfully in other respects it may be planted.
But a few of the most conspicuously placed of the beds in
the boundary of the pattern may be planted with calceolarias
to assist in defining the arrangement. Bright and sharp
edgings are eminently desirable, and it is a good point if
the edgings are the same throughout, forming clear fillets of
silvery or golden leafage, or some suitable flowering plant,
which carries plenty of light in its colour. Objection may
be taken to this rule, on the ground that beds containing
plants that nearly approximate in tone to that of the general
edging, will be spoiled if edged like the rest. But the objec¬
tion is superficial. When we cannot bring out the masses by
means of the edgings, and it is desirable to have the boundary
lines ahke all through, we must change our tactics, and bring
out the edgings. For example, we are to suppose three beds
filled with flowers. No. 1 contains scarlet < geraniums, and
may be edged with a band of blue lobelia, and an outer de¬
fining line of silvery cerastium ; No. 2 is filled with blue
ageratum, and edged with a band of Purple King verbena,
with a finishing line of cerastium. No. 3 consists of Mrs.
Pollock geranium and blue lobelia, plant and plant, with a
finishing band of lobelia, and a boundary line of cerastium.
Thus, in three extremely different cases, the final fillet is the
same without violation of harmony or detraction from the
pronounced character of the beds. It is a matter equally im¬
portant and interesting, that a perfect hypothetical balance of

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

colours is neither a good practical balance nor agreeable to
the educated eye. A square yard each of red, blue, and yellow,
whether in grass or gravel, will not make a telling parterre.
But a block of blue, between two blocks of red, and all three
banded with a silvery grey line or a sufficient breadth of
green grass, might constitute an agreeable, though humble
feature of a garden. It is well, indeed, in every scheme to
allow one colour with its related shades to predominate, and
to employ the others as relief agents rather than as features.
Lastly, strong contrasts should not be indulged in often ; they
are the antitheses of harmony, as you may discover by obser¬
vation. Thus we shall find two geraniums like Thomas
Moore and Feast of Boses, the first intense scarlet, the second
intense rose pink, produce a most delightful harmony when
planted side by side. And again, Bonfire geranium, a dazzling
scarlet, may be planted by the side of Purple King verbena,
with the certainty of a rich and perfect combination. This
much, however, must suffice on the subject of colour for the
present ; but we shall have to return to it in connection with
the plants required for the bedding system. If example is
better than precept, the best part of this chapter is now to
come, for examples are needed ; and the few selected are well
adapted to illustrate principles.

The subjoined figure, p. 20, represents a panel garden, drawn
to scale. It lies immediately below the terrace, and is approached
by a flight of steps. On either side is a strip of grass, twelve
feet wide, on the same level as the flower beds, and beyond
that the ground rises in a grass slope (or ramp) to the general
level of the lawn above. Two examples of planting this
garden for a summer display will be given, and the first shall
be a harmony in red. No. 1, Stella geranium, or an equally
rich and heavy crimson scarlet geranium ; 2, 2, Blue Lobelia,
and a golden-leafed geranium, such as Golden Banner ; 3, 3,
a dwarf scarlet geranium, such as Attraction or Thomas Moore ;
4, 4, 4, 4, same as centre ; 5, 5, 5, 5, solid planting of a good
rose-pink geranium, like Christine, or Feast of Boses. Nos.
4 and 5 being in the same boundary, and, in fact, one and the
same bed, the scarlet must occupy the half nearest the centre,
and the pink the other half ; 6, 6, 6, 6, Amaranthus melan-
cholicus, edged with Centaurea ragusina ; 7, 7, Coleus Ver-
schaffelti, with outer band of yellow Calceolaria ; 8, 8, same
as 3, 3, and edged with blue Lobelia ; 9, 9, a pale pink gera-

Gravel

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Grass

Slope

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

nium, such as Pink Muslin, or Rosa Queen ; 10, 10,
Geranium Avalanche, which has white leaves and white
flowers. The second example of the planting shall he a
harmony in blue. No. 1, Petunia Purple Redder, or Spitfire,
or Verbena Celestial Blue, edged with Cerastium ; 2, 2, Dwarf
Scarlet geranium, edged with blue Lobelia ; 3, 3, a tricolor
geranium, such as Sunset, or Louisa Smith, edged with blue
Lobelia ; 4 and 5, in centre of each division of these compart¬
ments, about where the figures are placed, a circular dot of
a brilliant scarlet geranium, such as Thomas Moore, or Lion
Heart, the rest of the block filled in with blue Lobelia,
finished with edging of Cerastium ; 6, 6, 6, 6, Geranium Flower
of Spring, and blue Lobelia, plant and plant, edged with Ivy¬
leaved Geranium Elegant; 7, 7, a dwarf scarlet geranium,
edged with blue Lobelia; 8, 8, Lobelia Indigo Blue, edged with
Geranium Flower of Spring ; 9, 9, a lilac or rose-pink gera¬
nium, such as Lilac Banner, Feast of Roses, or Amy Hogg ;
10, 10, a dwarf salmon or orange-scarlet geranium, such as
H. W. Longfellow, or Harkaway, edged with Cerastium.

The next example, p. 22, makes a poor appearance on paper,
but in the fine large old-fashioned garden, where it embellishes
the forefront of a lawn, it is a most effective arrangement,
the beds being cut out on the grass, and all of them furnished
to produce decisive effects. When the drawing was made,
the beds were filled as follows : A, White Verbena, edged with
Purple Verbena; B, Mangles’ Variegated Geranium, edged
with blue Lobelia ; c, C, Lion Heart Geranium, edged with
Flower of the Day ; D, Crimson Unique Geranium, edged with
Flower of Spring ; E, e, Geranium Tristram Shandy ; F, F,
blue Lobelia, and Cerastium tomentosum, plant and plant,
edged with Cerastium ; g, Geranium Duchess ; H, Geranium
Louisa Smith ; I, i, vases filled with Ivy-leaved geraniums,
Gazanias, and Convolvulus Mauritanicus.

In further illustration of the principles of geometric
colouring, a selection has been made of a series of schemes
in the Liverpool Botanic Gardens, where Mr. Tyerman, the
able curator, has developed this system of embellishment with
peculiar completeness and success. The first of the series
will indicate the value of geraniums, or, as they should be
termed more correctly, zonate pelargoniums ; for the whole
furniture consisted, in the season when these notes were made,
of varieties of this class of bedding plants, with the exception,
as will be seen, of a few trivial dots of calceolaria and verbena.

HOUSE

SCALE ONE FOOT TO AN INCH.

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

The plans which follow, on pages 24, 25, and 26, will, it is
hoped, be clearly understood by the aid of the accompanying
enumeration of the plants employed in furnishing them.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

1. Geranium Christine, and margin of 18 inches Peri] la. 2. Geranium
Stella, and margin of 24 inches of Yellow Tom Thumb Tropseolum. 3.
Centaurea ragusina and Amaranthus tricolor. 4. Geranium Bijou, and
edging of 24 inches Verbena Purple King. 5. Verbena venosa and Viola
lutea, mixed. 6. Geranium Gold Leaf, and edging of 12 inches Geranium
Little David. 7. Geranium Lord Palmerston, and edging of 18 inches
Tropseolum nanum punctatum (yellow with scarlet spot). 8. Geranium
Diadematum, and edging of 18 inches Gnaphalium lanatum. 9. Geranium
Queen of Queens, and edging of 18 inches Viola montana var. 10. Tro-
pseolum Stamfordianum, and edging of 24 inches Verbena Ariosto. 11.
Geranium Silver Queen, and edging of 18 inches Lobelia Paxtoniana. 12.
Edging of Cerastium tomentosum. 13. Verbena pulcliella and Geranium
Golden Chain, mixed. 14. Lobelia Paxtoniana and variegated Alyssura
mixed.

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THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN-.

The next design, p. 28, will explain the principles of Par¬
quet colouring. It is the work of a talented head gardener in
a large private establishment, who says of it : —

“ The planting and condition of this bed had many
admirers. I do not claim any particular merit for it, although
it was my own work ; because the position of the bed, and
the restrictions under which that position place the planter,
can only be known to those most interested in it. Still, the
fact that many wish to copy it speaks well for the principles
observed, and of the probability that it is worthy of imitation
in other places. It is necessary to state that it was formed
out of the middle of a broad stone terrace adjoining the man¬
sion. But a new wing being added to the house, and the
principal window of that wing looking down upon the stone
terrace, it was considered desirable to break up the monotony
of the stone terrace by forming this parquet garden in the
centre. The restrictions imposed upon the planter will be
evident to the reader. As the principal windows are in the
new wing, it is from that point from which the bed is viewed,
and it should show all its features from that point without
being distasteful to the eye when looked upon from any other.
It was the opinion of many that the same plants and the same
arrangement would look well as a double ribbon border in
any position. The splashes of yellow introduced at the corners,
cutting off, as it were, the sharp angles of the lines, were
objected to ; but, for my own part, I never regretted that
feature, because it broke up the stiffness of the arrangement,
and it softened down the tones of the massive lines of Stella
geranium. As a rule, angular arrangements are objectionable,
but, as they must be sometimes adopted, this example may be
useful in your series of bedding examples.”

The next examples, p. 29, represent the embellishments
of an entrance court, which is remarkably well-kept, being
richly stocked with coniferous trees, and the walls densely
clothed with the choicest ivies. The central walk is flanked
on each side with small grass-plots, on which are marked out
oblong compartments and narrow scrolls as in the small
figure. The ground- work is wholly formed of statuary marble
broken to the size of hazel-nuts, and laid down on a bottom of
concrete, to prevent the soiling of the white marble by worm-
casts. The scroll is, therefore, produced in relief on a snow-
white ground, and is planted thus : — A A, Golden Fleece

M. Mansion. ST. Stone steps. NW, New wing. W. Window, looking south. TV. Terrace wall.

1. Perilla nankinensis. 2. Cineraria maritima. 3. Geranium Stella. 4. Geranium Madame Yaucher. 5. Geranium Golden
Chain, the flowers picked off. 6. Yiola cornuta. 7. Yellow Calceolaria. 8. Stone Kerb.

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

Geranium; BB, blue Lobelia; 0, Alma Geranium. Tills scheme
is admirably adapted for small gardens and entrances, and
requires only ordi¬
nary skill to work
it out successfully.

Immediately in
front of the gate
is a circle of grass
turf, with standard
bay tree in the
centre, and four equidistant horns or compartments, as re¬
presented in the figure. The planting of this design is very

simple, but most effective. A is a bold clump of Perilla,
forming the termination or mouth of the horn ; B, Flower of
the Day Geranium, which is continued to the centre C, so
that the design has but two prominent colours — purple-bronze

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and creamy-grey, a subordinate colour being tbe cerise blos¬
soms of tbe geranium. Tbe effect of tbis style of planting
is enhanced by the rich foliage of tbe evergreen shrubs in tbe
adjoining borders, and its intense brightness is relieved by
tbe pleasant view of a large and rich green garden beyond.

Space need not be occupied with ribbons and scrolls, be¬
cause of their simplicity in tbe first place ; and because, in
tbe second place, the larger schemes include all tbe smaller
ones, so far as principles and details are concerned. It may
be remarked, however, for general guidance, that scrolls and
ribbons must always be decisive in colouring, sharp and bright,
and either strictly linear in arrangement, or so arranged that
tbe Vandykes, crescents, and waving lines adopted are sub¬
ordinate to tbe primary linear arrangement, so as to sustain
tbe idea of a scroll or a ribbon as tbe case may be. Plants
of small growth are especially valuable for tbis work, which
should be dense in planting of tbe very best materials avail¬
able for tbe purpose.

A curious and eminently pleasing style of massing has
lately been adopted by Mr. Mason, tbe superintendent of
Princes Park, Liverpool. Tbis is known as Tessellated
colouring, tbe colours being repeated in small blotches, with
sharp dividing lines to separate tbe groups, like a series of
dotted ribbons placed side by side to form a connected piece.
In tbis system, foliage plants are freely employed side by side
with flowering plants, and tbe result is a rich mosaic or tessel¬
lated pattern extremely pleasing and interesting to look down
upon, but wanting in decidedness when viewed from a dis¬
tance. Tbe examples figured occur on large breadths of green
turf, which greatly aids tbe general effect ; in fact, gravels of
any kind would be unsuitable for a groundwork, by tbe too
near approximation of their colours to some of tbe oft-repeated
neutral tints in tbe planting. It is of great importance to
select for tbe purpose plants that are likely to continue good
throughout tbe season, for a failure anywhere would be par¬
ticularly disastrous on account of its repetition in tbe form of
a broad sprinkling of blank spaces amongst tbe flowers. It
is not less important either to select plants of tbe same height,
or that admit of being pinched back should any of them over¬
top their neighbours. Tbe schemes are explained in tbe
enumeration of subjects employed in producing them. Tbe
blank lines are planted tbe same as those they correspond with.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

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2; 66566566566566566566566566'., a

if 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 4 4 3 \\

121121121121121121121121121121 \

Outside Row : 1, 1. Lobelia speciosa ; 2. Golden Chain Geranium, dwarf
bushy plants. Second Row: 3. Geranium Miss Kingsbury, with
flowers picked off; 4, 4. Geranium Little David. Third Row : 5.
Calceolaria aurea floribunda ; 6, 6. Dark-leaved Beet. Centre Row :
7. Centaurea ragusina ; 8, 8. Pink Geranium (seedling).

Scale, 4 feet to the inch.

\ . / £

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First Roiv : 1, 1. Pactylis glomerata variegata ; 2. Geranium Little
David. Second Roto : 3. Dark-leaved Beet ; 4, 4. Calceolaria aurea
floribunda. Third Row : 5. Geranium Waltham Seedling ; 6, 6.
Geranium Bijou, with flowers picked off. Centre Row : 7. Perilla ;
8. Large plants of Centaurea ragusina.

Scale, 4 feet to the inch.

A few words on leaf embroidery must suffice to close this
chapter. An interesting and extremely beautiful example of
this style of dressing was represented in a coloured plate in
the Floral World for March, 1871. The reader, who can
refer, will observe that it is equally well adapted for the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

grandest terrace garden, or the quite humble and unpretending
grass plot in a villa garden. It may be likened, in a general
way, to a hearthrug or Turkey carpet pattern, though of course
it must be less complicated, and the materials employed being
chiefly leaf colours, blend in the same soft, warm manner,
with more thorough distinctness in the several blocks of
colour, because there are no green leaves to interfere with the
unity of each. The most} useful plants for this work are
coleus, alternantheras, the “ golden feather,” pyrethrum, cen-
taureas, iresines, perillas, amaranthus melancholicus, and a
few of the more distinct echeverias and sempervivums. It is
the latest novelty in flower garden embellishment, but is des¬
tined, we cannot doubt, to become extremely popular because
of its richness; the comparative ease and certainty with which
satisfactory results may be obtained ; the long continuance,
without change, of the colouring produced in the first instance ;
and the oneness of colour in each separate line or block, the
whole scheme improving as the season advances, without the
possibility of the occurrence of those blanks we are accus¬
tomed to in the case of flowering plants, which are usually
without flowers when planted, and are apt to go out of flower
for a week or two in the very height of the season.

OHAFTEH III.

THE BEDDING SYSTEM, AND THE PLANTS REQUIRED FOR IT.

The “ bedding system,” as commonly understood, is an idea
only half developed. It is very much to be feared it wiil
never be known as a complete system, but that it is doomed
to remain an example of arrested development, so far as the
mass of the people are concerned. Let us consider for a
moment the case of a geometric garden occupying a con¬
spicuous position, and intended as one of the principal, per¬
haps the principal embellishment of the garden. As a design
in black earth, and green box, and grey gravel, its merits are
not worth considering ; but we are always prepared to con¬
sider its merits in connection with its purpose, and will pass
judgment upon it when filled with flowers, just as we would
prefer to judge a picture-frame with the picture in it. Well,
we will wait until the month of May. By the end of that
merry month of flowers the beds are all filled ; but the plants
are puny bits of things, and must have time to “ make them¬
selves.” So we will wait until June. By about Midsummer-
day, a pretty fair sprinkling of flowers will be seen in the
geometric garden, and we may then make an estimate of its
artistic value as a design, as well as of the skill employed in
planting it. From Midsummer-day to Michaelmas- day, when
usually the first autumnal frost occurs, the best of the
summer bedders are extremely gay. For just three months,
in fact, a few days more or less, according to the season, the
parterre planted agreeably to custom is brilliant in the ex¬
treme, and for the remaining nine months of the year it is a
dreary blank. It is like a display of fireworks, glorious while
it lasts, but “ere we can say, ‘Behold how beautiful’ fitis
gone,” and the darkness that follows is rendered more pro¬
found by contrast with the light that dazzled us. Yet, for
the sake of this temporary glory, ten thousand gardens, that

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

would otherwise have been rich in attractions of a permanent
character, and comparatively exhanstless in interest, have
been reduced to the condition of manufactories, and the
summer show, as a proof to all observers of what the factory
could produce, has been considered sufficient return for the
sacrifice of all that should make a garden at once a training-
ground for mind and morals, and a recreative feature of the
house itself.

The bedding system has its uses as well as its abuses. In
many a place it operates injuriously, by contracting the ideas
of those who profess to love their gardens, and absorbing
energies and appliances for the accomplishment of paltry
results, which might be devoted to purposes conducive to the
production of a really enjoyable garden. But for its own
particular purpose, and in its proper place, with liberal sur¬
roundings, and with means for its proper vindication, the
bedding is not only invaluable in its present imperfect state
of development, but worthy of all the energy and thought it
may demand for its completion. Its one grand defect admits
of the most perfect remedy, but every step in the remedial
process is attended with expense and labour. To be sure,
it is not possible to have a display of flowers in open beds
the whole year round, but there may be four displays of some
kind in the course of twelve months. From March to May,
the parterre should present a succession of masses and lines
of spring flowers ; say crocuses, tulips, forget-me-nots, scillas,
iberis, alyssums, pyre thrums, pansies, daisies, and polyanthuses.
Then should follow the summer display of geraniums, verbenas,
petunias, and the rest of the generally accepted furniture.
At the instant of these declining in beauty, early- flowering
pompone chrysanthemums, brought in from the reserve
ground, might be planted in their places, to make a brilliant
display from the middle of October to the middle of November.
Then the spring display must be prepared for by planting
bulbs and herbaceous plants, and a few beds, and centres of
beds, might be left wholly or partially vacant in this planting,
in order to be filled with showy evergreen shrubs carefully lifted
from the reserve ground, or grown in pots for the purpose and
plunged. The programme here sketched out is not strictly
like the blind man’s fiddle that he made “ out of his own
head,,, for the author has carried it into effect and kept it
going for years, and has thus tested and tried all its capa-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

bilities and difficulties. In all well-kept gardens, the parterre
should be planted at least twice a year, namely, in May for
the summer display, and in October for the spring display.
The employment of chrysanthemums for autumn, and ever¬
green shrubs for winter, demands much space, makes much
labour, and needs very nice management, whether the system
of planting or plunging be resorted to for the sake of con¬
tinuous enjoyment of “a gay garden.” Considering a dis¬
play of spring flowers to be absolutely necessary, it will bo
proper to offer a few practical remarks on the course to bo
pursued by those who would secure it at the least possible
cost, and with the best possible result. Having disposed of
that part of the subject, the summer display will demand
attention.

The most useful materials for a display of spring flowers
are to be found amongst the hardy bulbs. The kinds on
which we must chiefly depend for the principal effects out of
doors are the crocus, snowdrop, tulip, and hyacinth. Where*
required to be used in large quantities these may be had in
distinct and striking colours, and of good quality, at very
cheap rates. It is most important for people who really wish
to do the best with their gardens, to know that a show of
spring flowers does not necessitate extravagant outlay ; for
though we may spend five-and-twenty pounds upon a single
tulip, and five pounds more to grow it properly, as good an
effect may be produced, if the embellishment of the garden
is all that is required, by a bulb costing one penny, and an
additional farthing for the expense of cultivation, inclusive of
labour, manure, and rent. Nevertheless, there is a popular
dread of bulbs for use on a large scale as ruinously expensive.

There is also another difficulty, and that is, that gardeners
wish to deal with them as with summer bedders. The latter
they dispose so that all shall be in bloom at the same time,
and they want to do the same with a collection of bulbs, but
Nature is against them. It is a very easy matter indeed to
plant the several sorts of bulbs so that their blooming at
different times is a positive advantage, whether in continuous
borders or in beds that constitute groups all under the eye
at the same time. For instance, in a geometrical garden
laid out on a lawn within view of the drawing-room windows,
all the beds that correspond with each other in the pattern
can be planted with the same kinds of bulbs, so that when.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

these are in bloom there will be the same harmony of arrange¬
ment as if the beds were the same throughout. A simple
scheme will make this plain : suppose a set of eleven angular
beds on a lawn as here represented, the gardener’s object may
be to have several kinds of bulbs in bloom all at the same
time, and that is just the very thing that cannot be accom¬
plished. But for months together there may be abundance
of flowers in rich masses, without any lop-sided anomalies, as
the planting of the beds will show : —

Scillas and
Daisies.

Yellow
Crocuses and
Pansies.

Scillas and
Daisies.

Early Tulips
and

Polyanthuses.

Early Tulips
and

Polyanthuses.

Mixed Hyacinths with
Arabis and Alyssum.

Early Tulips
and

Polyanthuses.

Early Tulips
and

Polyanthuses.

Scillas and
Daisies.

Yellow
Crocuses and
Pansies.

Scillas and
Daisies.

It will be seen that it matters not whether the various
plants employed bloom altogether or in succession, each
separate class will be in bloom in its own season, and yellow
crocus on one side will have a match in yellow crocus on the
other, and the same with all the rest. But this simple scheme
may be improved by using all the smaller bulbs as edgings
to the larger beds. Suppose them all edged with snowdrops,
then early in the year the whole scheme will be gay with
white flowers. Next the snowdrops plant crocuses, and as
the snowdrops go out of bloom these will succeed them ;
then as the crocuses decline, the hyacinths and tulips, form¬
ing the principal masses, will come to their full splendour,
and the season of spring flowers will be prolonged almost
to the time for turning out summer bedders. There are
numbers of early-flowering herbaceous plants suitable to
plant with the bulbs to make masses of verdure all the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

winter, and a rich surfacing of flowers in the spring, and at
the proper time the beds should be cleared of these and the
bulbs together, for the customary summer planting.

The supposed expensiveness of bulbs, that deters people
from using them largely, is a most injurious fallacy, for they
are by no means so costly as supposed. But there is another
impediment, and that is the supposition that the soil must
be prepared in some mysterious manner with elaborate com¬
posts, and processes which few understand. Now the simple
truth is, that for all the bulbs and herbaceous plants com¬
monly used for masses in the flower garden, the only prepa¬
ration necessary is to break up the ground well and manure
it moderately, leave it a few days to settle, and then plant.
If the soil is wet it must be drained ; but that is necessary
for everything else cultivated in it. Scarcely anything worth
having will grow in ground where the drainage is not either
naturally or artificially sufficient to remove surplus water
quickly, so that the soil is never more than reasonably moist.
All the bulbous-rooted plants like a rich sandy soil, but there
is no occasion for composts, and all tedious operations are
unnecessary.

Now as to the cost. All the best bedding tulips may be
obtained at from five shillings to nine shillings per hundred ;
and the most expensive kinds will never cost more than four
shillings per dozen. A reference to any of the bulfy catalogues
will show that if good colours are the desiderata without
reference to the peculiar excellence of varieties delicately
striped or finely formed, a few pounds will go a long way to
make the garden an agreeable attachment to the house during
the early months of the year, instead of, as it too often is at
that season, a dreary wilderness. In all the bulb catalogues
u mixtures ” are advertised at a cheap rate. When these
mixtures are in distinct colours they may be very useful for
those who are obliged to make the most of a small outlay. But
mixtures of colours are objectionable in geometric arrange¬
ments, and in this scheme we should admit only one mixture,
and that would bo of hyacinths. If we were to plant a set of
beds like those in the scheme above, we would have the
edgings of snowdrops and crocuses all through. The two
crocus beds we would also edge, by planting blue crocus
inside the line of the snowdrops ; all the rest of the beds we
should make the second line of yellow crocus. The four

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

corner beds we should plant solid with S cilia siberica. The
four tulip beds should be of four kinds only, the bulbs five
inches apart all over, and the hyacinths mixed thus : —

Early Tulip,

Brutus

Belle

Rectifie.

Alliance.

Mixed Hyacinths.

Early Tulip,

Belle

Brutus

Alliance.

Rectifie.

The principles which govern the use of bulbs in solid masses
do not strictly apply to their use in borders. Here they can
be used in close lines as ribbons, or in distinct clumps, which
are better than lines certainly. Compare a line of snowdrops
or crocuses with a set of clumps, and the latter will always
be pronounced the best disposition of them. As the different
kinds of bulbs bloom at different periods, there will be the
same succession as in beds, and the places for each will be
determined by height only — say for front line clumps of snow¬
drops and Scilla siberica, nine inches apart all through ;
behind that front row clumps of yellow crocus ; behind that
again, clumps of blue and white crocus, not mixed, but
distinct and alternating ; then hyacinths, and for the back
row early tulips.

With the exception of hyacinths, all the bulbs we have
named will increase in value every year if planted in a sound,
well-drained, well-manured soil, and the more sandy the soil
the better. They should be planted before they have grown
much, and be taken up when the foliage is decaying, and be
laid in some shady place covered with a little mould to ripen
before being stored. Crocuses and snowdrops need not be
removed every year, but once in three years. They should

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN*.

be taken up, the ground should then be trenched and manured,
and the bulbs planted again. Borders appropriated to a dis¬
play of these in spring may be sown over with annuals with¬
out injury to the bulbs, and to render a yearly lifting of them
unnecessary. As to hyacinths, they rapidly deteriorate unless
subjected to careful systematic cultivation. As a rule, the
best plan is to purchase a fresh supply every year, and throw
away those that have flowered. The other kinds of bulbs do
not deteriorate if carefully managed as bedding plants. One
more remark may be worth making, it is that all the most
valued bulbous and tuberous rooted plants thrive amazingly
well in the smoky atmosphere of great towns.

We will now briefly indicate a few of the more important
points that require consideration in connection with the sum¬
mer bedders. To begin with, we must divide these into two
classes — 1, those that produce effect by their flowers ; 2,
those that produce effect by their leaves. In the first section
the most important plants are Verbenas, Petunias, Calceo¬
larias, Lobelias, Lantanas, Heliotropes, and Tropseolums. In
the second section the most valuable subjects are Coleus,
Amaranthuses, Alternantheras, Iresines, Perillas, Centaureas,
Cerastiums, Gnaphaliums, Pyrethrums. From the great
family of Geraniums (zonate pelargoniums) we can select
plants for both classes, and so far as they serve the purposes
required by the flower and leaf colours, they are without
question the most useful bedding plants in cultivation. But
the question arises what constitutes a bedding plant ? Before
attempting an answer to this question, it must be remarked
that although such noble subjects as Agaves, Yuccas, Cannas,
Humeas, and Beaucarneas, may be employed to enrich the
parterre, our chief concern now is with the plants employed
in flat colouring, for such are the bedders proper. This con¬
sideration suggests the limits within which we may select
plants for bedding. They must be decisive in the colour of
leaf, or flower, or both; they must be of comparatively dwarf
habit, or admit of being trained close to the ground to pro¬
duce the same effect as dwarf plants ; and they must present
the appearance which renders them valuable as agents in
colouring for a considerable length of time, and the longer
the better. Other qualities we need not make note of. It is
evident that a plant selected for its flowers will prove but a
poor bedder, if those flowers are presented in a succession of

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARBE1T.

efforts with considerable intervals between. Hence, antirrhi¬
nums and pentstemous, which, as garden flowers, are most
beautiful, cannot be considered valuable bedders. Pyrethrums
flower too early for the summer display, and phloxes flower
too late. A vast enumeration might be made of plants com¬
monly regarded as bedders, that really do not belong to the
category ; but it is sufficient to say that given all other need¬
ful qualities, continuity of effect, whether by leaves or flowers,
is an indispensable quality. Here we light upon an interest¬
ing distinction between such as we may call flowering plants,
and such as we may called leaf plants. Under the best of
circumstances, we must wait for the first, for even if we plant
them in full bloom, the change of conditions consequent on
planting will soon cause them to cast their flowers, and some
time must elapse ere they produce a succession. With leaf
plants, the case is quite different. They show their colour
from the first, however weak it may be, owing to the smallness
of the plants ; and they improve every day. With flowering
plants, the first display is of green leaf, with accidental dots
of colour. With leaf plants, the first display is the same as
the last, save and except as to intensity. If a verdict as to
relative values must be given here, the leaf plants must have
it certainly, and the latest fashion in leaf embroidery will
amply justify this preference of leaves to flowers for colouring
of the richest and most artistic character. As, however, it
will be long ere the leaves drive out the flowers, the last must
have attention in these pages, without regard to their possible
eclipse in years to come, or the great probability that, after
all, the flowers may be in the end triumphant.

The shortest and simplest way of making a display of
bedding plants is to buy them when wanted, and dig them
into the beds as manure when the autumnal rains have spoiled
their beauty. And it needs to be said that this is not so
extravagant a mode of procedure as it appears. To be sure,
the plants will cost money, and the outlay must be repeated
every season, so long as bedders are required. But those
who raise their own plants, and keep up a stock for bedding’,
do not obtain their results for nothing. They must employ
skilled labour, and make use of glass, and burn fuel, and
occupy space for a mere manufacturing business which, if
judged from any high standpoint, offers but little to interest
the enthusiastic horticulturist. The system of purchasing

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and destroying will suit those who have no glass, and it
may suit many who have, because, by setting free labour,
glass, fuel, and ground-rent from the production of bedding
plants, the means may be found to grow pines, grapes,
mushrooms, melons, the very noblest stove and greenhouse
plants, and many grand conservatory plants which are quite
unknown to those who find in geraniums and calceolarias
the sole objects of horticultural care, and the only worthy
subjects of horticultural enthusiasm. It is quite a question
whether thousands who grow their own bedding plants do
not pay more for them than those who purchase annually.
However, it is our business to help both parties, and we close
this paragraph by remarking that, without a sufficiency of
glass, it is next to impossible to carry out the bedding system
with home-grown plants, and a regular routine of cultivation
must be followed to enable the planter, in the month of May,
to fill the parterre according to the arrangement predeter¬
mined on. It happens, fortunately, that a few simple directions
on cultivation will apply to nearly all the bedders enumerated
above, and these may very properly be presented in the next
chapter.

It remains now, to complete this section, that a few
remarks of a general kind should be offered on the distribu¬
tion, and proportions, and relations of the colours employed
in the furnishing of the parterre. The reader will not need
to be informed that a tasteful display can only be obtained
by a judicious employment of the materials at the command
of the planter. They may be sufficient for the production of the
most artistic effects, and yet may be made subservient to mere
vulgarity, or to a meaningless expression of weak harmony,
unless they are proportioned and disposed with skill. Let us,
therefore, consider the whole case in a comprehensive manner,
though a few of our remarks may be but amplifications of
points already succinctly stated.

All our general views of "Nature afford us hints of the
laws by which the disposition of colours should be regulated.
But particular views are still more instructive to the artist.
Let us behold the meadows in the month of May, and rejoice
in the golden glow of buttercup blossoms with which they
are overspread. What does the sight consist of ? You will
be disposed to answer, perhaps, that it consists of a green
groundwork covered with dottings of yellow. And you are

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDES.

right therein ; but it will be observed that in the foreground
the green is of great breadth, and some intensity — that, in
fact, it is a more distinctive feature than the yellow. But
look at the mid-distance. There the green groundwork is
subdued in tone, and the yellow has gained in strength, so
much so that the green is almost overpowered by it, and we
call it — properly too- — “the field of the cloth of gold.” But
now, observe the background. If the field extends to a suffi¬
cient distance from the eye, its farthest boundary is a sharp
bright line of gold ; the green groundwork is lost altogether ;
the buttercups, which near our feet are scattered so that
between every two or three tufts of flowers there are distinct
hummocks of grass, are in the far distance packed so close as
to present to the eye a solid golden band reaching across the
field, and which, if there is a copse or a heath beyond, looks
all the brighter and sharper by contrast. That these different
appearances of the field are delusions, need not be explained.
We see the distant buttercups at a lower angle than those
that are near, and the gradual strengthening of the yellow,
and weakening of the green, as the eye ranges across the field,
are phenomena resulting solely from the different angles at
which each successive distance is viewed : we look down into
the grass at our feet ; we look along the surface of the whole
vegetation as we glance to the distant parts of the scene, and
the horizontal line of vision passes through all the buttercups,
and does not touch the grass at all.

We can agree on two points — first, that the' change from
a predominance of green to a predominance of yellow is per¬
fectly natural and easily understood ; and, second, that it
affords immense delight to the eye — so much delight, indeed,
that the most fastidious colourist amongst us could scarcely
wish for a finer effect than is every year produced by every
meadow that is weli sprinkled with buttercups. Now, what
is the idea of that scene when considered artistically ? The
idea is, that one colour may dominate, may make other
colours subservient to it, and so afford pleasure to the eye.
We have a hint here of the value of what may be called
dominant colouring, and which in bedding displays may be
worked out to grand results. Let us suppose we have to
colour a group of panel beds, or a geometric scheme on a
terrace. By selecting one strong colour to determine the tone
of the whole group, we secure, in the first instance, an idea ;

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

that idea makes itself expressed in a feature ; and the result
will be, gratification of a higher order than would result
from a disposition of colours without regard to any principle
at all. It will, of course, greatly depend upon the nature of
the design to be painted, the nature of the surroundings, the
degree of grandeur of the buildings, walks, lawns, and so
forth, how this idea is to be applied ; but an artist in colour
will not be long in determining anywhere. Probably in nine-
tenths of all the private gardens, the best colour to take tlie
lead all through a complete scheme would be scarlet. But it
does not follow that, if we select scarlet, we are to use no
other colours. Nothing of the sort. It is to be understood,
in such a case, that scarlet is to rule ; that there are to be
several shades of scarlet lending aid to each other ; and that
other colours are to come in as dividing lines, separating
blocks, boundaries, and relief agents — all these being so used
as to lead the eye to scarlet, and again to scarlet, claiming
for themselves no importance whatever.

Suppose, for the sake of illustration, we proceed to plant
a group of beds, beyond which there is an enclosing ribbon
border. We may have in the centre a neutral tint for the
purpose of helping the eye to range over the whole design
without being drawn to the centre by any undue attraction.
If we make the centre yellow, we ruin the scheme ; the eye is
drawn to it — fixed, and charmed, and spell-bound by it ; it
wars against the predominance of scarlet, and the idea with
which we begun is already trodden under foot. But we may
have there a variegated-leaved geranium, and one of the
creamy section will be preferable to a white leaf. If more
colour than a creamy leaf variegate would afford were re¬
quired, some soft shade of scarlet, or red, or pink, would
answer admirably ; and a reddish-lavender, puce, or rose,
would be admissible. The outer beds all through, in which
the great leading features of the design are made manifest,
should be in the strongest tones of scarlet; and, if the
pattern has some complicated fillings up, relief colours will
be wanted in them — not for the purpose of introducing as
many colours as possible, but solely to help out the expression
of the whole; and give the scarlet its full importance as the
one colour to which every other is subservient. For inter¬
mediate dots and relief-agents, however, rosy-purple, yellow,
white, and even blue, will be admissible ; but the purple will be.

TTIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

most suitable for relief wliere any considerable breadth of
colour is wanted, to separate large blocks of scarlet, or to fill
any odd portion of a design which, like the nose on the face,
has no relation to any other corresponding feature, but serves
to separate and systematize them. For distinct dots, blots,
angles, and small fillings-in, yellows and blues will be in good
taste ; and, if well used, will help to bring out the good pur¬
pose of the design.

For the edgings of the beds there will be an admirable
opportunity for the free use of gold and silver leaves. Sharp
white, creamy, or amber lines bordering the whole will be in
better taste than edgings of all colours ; yet, in a group of
scarlet beds, two or three styles of edging are admissible, if
very distinctly arranged, so as to balance every part of the
design ; and, of course, the larger the scheme, the more
various may the edgings be, and on them will depend in a
large measure the picking out of the design, so as to enable
the eye to apprehend and appreciate it from some point of
view fairly commanding the whole.

To colour the enclosing ribbon in the same way as the
beds would show a poverty of invention, not a deficiency of
taste. Scarlets with relief agents are perfectly admissible
there ; but tones of red and purple, and an outside edging
differing altogether in character from the edging in the beds,
will be preferable. We will suppose that the only yellow in
the beds occurs in the form of small dots, and is therefore
inconspicuous. For that very reason, a yellow edging to the
enclosing ribbon will be quite appropriate. It would be the
reproduction of the golden fillet which the Assyrians and
Egyptians used so successfully in their bold red colourings.
For the second line, say three shades of red; then a bold,
sharp line of white, grey, or pale blue. If the breadth of the
ribbon needed more lines, three shades of red might be em¬
ployed again, with a finishing line of something bold enough
to make a definite boundary.

It is not pretended that there is anything new in this
method of colouring. There is nothing new under the sun.
It has been Nature’s mode of procedure ever since the first
day of creation. The earth has shown to man, for his delight,
successive breadths of dominant colours — white, primrose,
and yellow in the spring and early summer ; orange, red, and
crimson in the full summer ; russet, brown, bronze, and pur-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

pie in autumn. Look at tlie heathy hills in July and August,
and how do they compel all the dots of green, aud red, and
white, in the adjoining meads and hedgerows, to become sub¬
servient to their own vast and wonderful sheets of crimson,
which the ling then clothes them with, as with a garment of
fire ! Or look, in spring-time, at some of the moist grass
lands of the southern counties, when the lady’s-smock is in
bloom, and how the snow-white vesture takes to itself a stripe
of green as a girdle, and a sprinkling of yellow globe flowers
as gold tassels and trimmings, the white still predominating,
and by that fact making a deep and joyful impression on the
mind of the beholder. hTor is it in any case hard to carry
the idea into effect in planting ; it is, indeed, most easy. It
makes the routine of bedding more simple than when it is
inspired by untaught fancy, and does away with all those
difficulties that beset mosaic painting, where one of the chief
objects is to establish a balance of all the colours.

“ Light and air

Are ministers of gladness; where these spread
Beauty abides and joy : wherever life is
There is no melancholy.”

CHAPTER IV,

CULTIVATION OF BEDDING PLANTS,

One of tlie principal reasons why, in many instances, bedding
plants are slow in making their proper effect, is that they are
preserved during winter in greenhouses constructed for better
purposes. A house suited for camellias, azaleas, and heaths,
will not suit bedding plants well, unless they are placed on
shelves very near to the glass. Abundance of light all the
winter long is one of the most important conditions, for if
the plants are far removed from the glass, they become
attenuated, make long weak shoots, and suffer considerably
when planted out, no matter how favourable at the time the
weather may be. Moreover, when housed with proper green¬
house plants, they are generally kept too moist and too warm,
and the result is that they grow when they ought to rest, and
are in a tender state when the time arrives for planting them.
The best place for the hardier kinds of bedding plants, such
as geraniums, petunias, and verbenas, is a well-built brick
pit or greenhouse, with very low roof, in which the plants can
always be kept very near the glass, and the management of
which, as to temperature, moisture, and air, will be considered
with reference to the bedding plants, and not with reference
to other things that may be mixed with them. To describe
plant houses in detail is no part of the purpose of this book ;
but it is necessary to the completeness of a practical con¬
sideration of bedding plants, to offer examples of houses
adapted for their preservation. The first shall be the simplest,
and the cheapest possible — a good useful pit, costing five or
six pounds at the utmost. The wTalls are four-inch brick¬
work ; and in order to make them more secure against frost,
as well as improve their appearance, a bank of earth, one foot
wide at the base, and sloping upwards to the sill, might be
thrown against them, and neatly turfed over. The furnace

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

is sunk “below the ground level, in a pit at the end, as indicated
by the dotted lines, which communicates with a flue running
along the inside of the front wall to the chimney. A movable
brick should be let in at a and b, for the purpose of cleaning
the flue. A common furnace, such as is used for a small
copper, will do ; and the furnace-pit should be covered with a

SCALE f » i t 1 t 1 i — * — \ _ FEET

folding lid. On the top of the pit- walls is a wood sill, 4|
inches by 2J inches, and cross-bars to slide the lights upon;
the whole covered with three well-glazed lights. The plant
stage inside the pit may consist of simple boards, which can
be raised or lowered, according to the wants of the plants, by
placing them on blocks of wood.

The figures on page 48 represent a suitable pit designed
in detail in order to simplify the labour of production. It is
estimated that the whole cost should not exceed £25, and,
when carried out, would form a complete multum in parvo for
the gardening amateur. Fig. 1 represents the ground-plan
and section of warm-pit, in the back of which is a path, Jcy a
bed for tan or leaves, a, in which roses, lilacs, azaleas, rhodo¬
dendrons as well as a supply of hyacinths, narcissus, etc.,
may be forced during the dull months of winter ; and in
summer, achimenes, gloxinias, and many of our finest stove-
plants may be grown, as well as a few pots of strawberries on

48 THE amateur’s flower garden.

GROUND PLAN .

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

shelf b. The roof is a fixture, but ventilation is secured Vy
three openings back and front, c, each 18 inches by 9 inches,
over which slide boards in a groove. The boards are connected
together by means of a stout wire, running from one to the
other, with a handle at the end, so that all may be opened or
shut at once by merely pulling or pushing the handle. The
ends of this part may be either all brickwork, or the front
wall returned ; and above that may be glass, according to the
taste of the builder. The latter would be the best-looking
plan, but would cost a trifle more than brickwork. Atmos¬
pheric heat is obtained from two four- inch hot-water pipes cl,
the flow rising at cj, and the return descending to boiler at i,
and flue formed with nine-inch drain-pipes. Wherever an
elbow occurs in this kind of flue, it is well to use a few bricks,
covering with a pavement, the removal of which at any time
will enable a flue-brush to be got in for cleansing the flue.
It is also to be remembered that a flue always acts best when
the furnace is sunk considerably lower than the line the flue
traverses, otherwise the air stagnates in it, and causes the
smoke to rush out at the furnace-door. For the heating, a
very small boiler will do. There will be 36 feet of four-inch
pipe, two elbows, one syphon, and a supply-cistern, 9 inches
square, for fixing at h, required for Fig. 1 ; also, two diminish¬
ing T-pieces, one stop-valve l, one two-inch syphon, and 18
feet of two-inch pipe, for Fig. 2 ; a furnace-front and bars,
and small soot-doors placed opposite the principal flues for
convenience of cleaning from soot.

For the building must be provided 4000 red bricks, 250
white bricks for floors, 10 feet of coping-bricks, one chaldron,
or 36 bushels, of lime, and three loads of sand, and 20 feet of
9-inch drain-pipe for flue and chimney.

Fifty-four feet of wall-plate, 4| inches by 3 inches, for the
various roofs to rest upon ; arid if the ends of the pit, Fig.
1, be only bricked up as high as the front-wall, and the rest
part glass, about 14 feet more will be required ; also, for the
jambs and lentels for two doors, 34 feet of the same scantling,
making about 102 feet.

For the roof of Fig. 1, 180 feet of sash bars, at 8 inches
apart, will be required ; and about 40 feet of 3 by 4 J -inch
scantling, to lay into the walls as bond-timber for the pitch
of the roof and ventilators. About 32 feet of 1 by 9-inch
board for shelves b , u , and ventilators, c, five iron brackets,

?0 THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

ditto, a few feet of spline for ventilators, and -f-inch iron rod
for the same ; a ladder o for stoke-hole, one door and thres¬
hold for potting-shed, Fig. 8 ; also, one door, partly glass,
and threshold for Fig. 1, two stakes and two pieces of rough
hoard for potting-hench m ; 70 feet of scantling, 2f by 3
inches for spars to roof of Fig. 3 ; a few feet of pantile lath
for ditto, and 100 pantiles ; three well-glazed 2-inch lights
for Fig. 2, which can be bought ready-made and seasoned of
any of the hothouse builders, these being the only parts,
excepting the door for Fig. 1, that require a first-rate joiner
to execute ; 100 feet box of glass of the exact size required
can also be obtained without difficulty, and will leave
plenty in hand for repairs. Anti-corrison paint, the best for
out- door work, with directions for using, can also be bought
with the glass, as well as a stone of putty, or the latter can
be made by any labourer, but is better if made some time
before using. A window of some kind, which will serve for
lighting Figs. 3 and 4, must be provided.

In constructing the back wall remember to turn an arch
where the boiler is to be fixed, to prevent the necessity of
weakening the structure by cutting away ; also, to see that
at least one of the hot-water pipes has a saddle cast upon it,
for supplying moisture to the atmosphere, f p, g, and the
dotted lines, Fig. 4, indicate the position for the boiler,
furnace, and ash-pit under the building.

It will be convenient, in this place, to say a few words
about the multiplication of plants from cuttings, for by that
method nine-tenths of all the bedding plants grown are pro¬
pagated. By far the greater proportion of plants that are
multiplied by cuttings require artificial heat. Nevertheless,
cuttings of many tender plants may be struck in the open
ground, or in pots and in frames, without heat, during summer,
and in every case the mode of procedure is nearly the same.
Very much of what we have to say will be applicable to
summer propagation without artificial heat, though our busi¬
ness is more directly with the propagation of plants in spring
by means of the heat of a tank or a hot-bed, because that
system must be resorted to with many bedding plants, and
requires more care than propagating in the open ground
during summer. We must suppose the heat to be sufficient and
constant. If from fermenting material, there should be a
large body of it in a nicely-tempered state. There is nothing

THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEN.

so good as a tank, for the operator Las thus complete com¬
mand over Lis work, and can enjoy tLe comfort of a warm
Louse wLile attending to Lis duties. As a rule, a bottom-
Leat of GO0 to 70° will suffice for all kinds of bedding plants
that are struck from cuttings. A temperature of 80° to 90°
may be used by persons who Lave Lad much experience, but
70° should be the maximum for beginners. In a subsequent
chapter the raising of plants from seeds will be treated in
detail ; and for that reason this method of procedure is in this
section only referred to casually.

Plants to be propagated from in
spring should be in a free-growing
state, because the best cuttings are
those of shoots newly formed, and
the worst those from shoots of last
year. If therefore the plants are
not freely growing, the propagator
must wait for them ; and to pro¬
mote free growth, the temperature
of the Louse should be kept at from
GO5 to 70°, with a moderate amount
of atmospheric moisture, and as
much light as possible, so that the
young shoots will be of a healthy
green, and with short joints. Sup¬
pose we look over a lot of fuchsias
that have been some time in a warm
house, we shall find them full of cutting of fuchsia.
little stubby side-shoots all ready

to hand, without demanding any particular skill to remove
them. Select one of these plump shoots, of an inch or an
inch and a half long, press the thumb against it, and it will
snap away “ with a heel” — that is, with a thickened base, the
separation taking place at the point where it issues out of the
old wood. When you have removed it, it will probably have
such an appearance as in the subjoined figure. All that this re¬
quires for its preparation is to remove the bud which has just
started near the base of the cutting, so as to leave a sufficient
length of clear stem to insert the cutting in sand firmly.
When so inserted, and kept moist, warm, and shaded, roots
will soon be formed at the base ; and as soon as the roots have
begun to run in search of nourishment, the top of the shoot

52 the amateur’s flower garden.

will begin to grow, which is the sign for potting off. Eat
suppose we have a chrysanthemum instead of a fuchsia. This
will have a mass of tender shoots rising from the root, and

there is no need to
take any of these
off with a heel.
With a knife, a pair
of scissors, or the
thumb-nail, remove
a small shoot of not
more than three or
four inches in length
— two inches will be
sufficient. This will
probably have some
such aspect as in
the figure. All the
preparation this re¬
quires is the re¬
moval of the lower
leaf, to make a suffi¬
cient length of clear
stem for inserting
it in silver sand.
Or suppose we have
instead ahard-wood-
ed plant of robust
growth, and which
is known to be easily rooted, then wo may venture to take a
still larger cutting. The figure on p. 53 is a side-shoot of Vero¬
nica Lindleyana ; it consists of four joints, is young, the wood
not yet hardened, and needs no preparation at all, because
there is a proper length of stem for its insertion. In the case of
plants having large fleshy leaves, it may sometimes be need¬
ful to crop off half of every leaf except those next the top
bud ; but, as a rule, as many leaves should be allowed to
remain as possible, because the more leaves that can be kept
alive while the cutting is making roots, the quicker will it
become a plant. No definite rule can be given on this head
to guide the inexperienced. It all depends upon how many
leaves can be kept alive. If the cuttings are to enjoy a brisk
heat, say 70°, with plenty of atmospheric moisture, then nearly

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN,

all tlie leaves may be left entire, and especially if the cuttings
are in a close propagating frame, or under bell-glasses. But
if they are likely to be exposed to draughts, if they are placed
in pots or pans in an ordinary greenhouse, and, therefore,
subjected to evaporation, the leaves
must be reduced in number, and all the
larger ones must be cut half away.

Another matter of importance in
making cuttings is to determine whe¬
ther they are to be rooted from a
joint or not. Most cultivators prefer
to cut the shoot
quite close under
a joint, so as to
obtain roots from
that joint. But
there is no occa¬
sion to cut to a
joint; any plant

ordinarily propagated for the garden,
will root as quickly from the “ inter¬
node” — that is, the portion of stem
intermediate between two joints — as
from the joints themselves. This is
of great importance when cuttings
are scarce : as a shoot will often fur¬
nish half-a-dozen cuttings, if taking
them at a joint is of no consequence ;
and only one or two, perhaps, if taking
them at a joint is imperative.

The size of the cuttings is a matter
of great importance. As a rule, the
smaller they are the better. Still, if
very soft, many may damp off unless
very skilfully handled, so the amateur
must secure them moderately firm, cutting of veronica.
Three or four joints will generally

suffice of most things, or say nice plump shoots of from
one to two inches long. If young side-slioots are scarce,
longer shoots may be cut up in lengths of three joints ;
and if it is a question of raising the largest possible number
of plants from the fewest cuttings, then one joint and its

iURGA'iOOl) CLKUU I IGkMlY
UJ'Ml lLLL\OlitO

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

accompanying leaf will suffice. Suppose we have a shoot
of a verbena placed in our bands to make the most of it ; we
shall first cut it into as many lengths are there are joints,
leaving each leaf untouched, and to every joint as much stem
as can be got by cutting just over instead of just under the
joints. Then with a sharp knife we split each of these joints
in half, so as to have one bud and leaf to each split portion,
and from every one of these we expect a good plant.

The most convenient way of disposing of the cuttings is
to dibble them into shallow pans filled with wet silver-sand,
as fast as they are prepared. The best way for those who
may have to leave the cuttings in the pans for any time after
they have formed roots, is to prepare the pans with crocks
for drainage, and over the crocks to spread an inch of chopped
moss or peat torn up into small shreds, or cocoa-nut fibre
dust, and then fill up to the brim with clean silver-sand. The
sand should be quite wet when the cuttings are inserted ; and
when they have been regularly dibbled in with the aid of a
bit of stick, or with the fingers only, it should be placed
where there is a bottom-heat of GO0 to 70°. A temperature of
80° is allowable when time is an object, but at 60° better
plants may be grown ; in fact, there is generally too much
heat used. From the time of putting the cuttings in heat
till they begin to grow, the temperature must be steady, and
there must be regular supplies of water. But water given
carelessly will surely entail losses. Probably the sand will
retain sufficient moisture for eight or ten days, without need¬
ing to be wetted beyond what reaches it in the process of
dewing the leaves. To dew the leaves neatly and timely is
one of the most important matters. For the amateur, to
whom a few minutes is no object, the best way is to dip a
hard brush in water, then hold the brush beside the cuttings,
and draw the hand briskly over it. This causes a fine spray
to be deposited on the leaves, to prevent flagging ; but if the
water is given from the rose of a watering-pot, the cuttings,,
if small, may be washed out of their places, or may be made
too wet.

A valuable contrivance for propagating plants in a sitting-
room, or in a greenhouse, is the Propagating Case of Messrs.
Barr and Sugden, of which figures are subjoined. It consists
of a frame containing a bed of moist sand, on which to place
the pots, and a boiler beneath, which is heated by a cjolza

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

lamp or jet of gas. It is an elegant hotbed in miniature, and
will be found as entertaining as it is useful in the multiplica¬
tion of bedding plants.

PORTABLE PROPAGATING PRAME.

Less difficult, but of far greater importance to the amateur,
are the methods adopted for propagating plants during the
summer and autumn. A few amongst the bedding plants may
be multiplied by simply dividing the roots and planting again
in a shady spot, or potting the divided pieces in small pots in
which they are to be wintered for planting out in the parterre
the following spring. But a majority of the most useful
plants are multiplied by cuttings during July, August, and
September, and are thus well rooted for storing in pits and
frames during winter. In every case that admits of this practice
it should be adopted, both because it occasions the least amount
of labour, and insures far better plants than can be obtained
by propagating in spring. The most important of the subjects
requiring to be propagated in summer and autumn are gera¬
niums and calceolarias. The first of these may be planted in
any open border in the full sun, but it is better to prepare a
somewhat sandy plot of ground in a partially shaded spot, for
although the fiercest heat of the sun will not kill geranium
cuttings, it is not altogether beneficial. Prepare the cuttings
from ripe stout shoots, rather than from the softest green shoots,
though if you begin in July, the softest shoots may be rooted
if favoured with a little extra care. Cut them into pieces

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

averaging* three or four inches in length, and remove only as
many leaves as will make half the length of the stem hare for
inserting in the ground, remembering always that the more
leaves that can be kept alive on cuttings, the more quickly
will the cuttings root. Insert them firmly in the soil, and as
close together as possible, so that their leaves do not over-lap.
While dry weather continues sprinkle them with water every
evening for a fortnight; and thenceforward, until they are
taken up, do not give them a drop. In the cool autumn the cal¬
ceolarias should be propagated, but in a somewhat different
manner. The best plan is to prepare for the cuttings beds of
light rich earth, consisting, for the most part, of leaf-soil, or
peat, or thoroughly decayed stable manure in a pulverized
condition, with a considerable admixture of loam and sand.
The situation of the bed should be dry and sheltered, and it
should be covered with a frame ; or, better still, makeup a bed
in a brick pit, with a view to leaving the calceolaria cuttings
where they are first planted for the winter, as there is no
necessity for potting them if they can be protected from damp
and frost, as they are almost hardy. In great establishments,
where hundreds of thousands of bedding plants of all kinds
are used, the greater part are struck and wintered in pits
which rise only one to three or four feet above the ground
level, and have the aid of hot- water pipes sufficient to keep
the contents safe from frost. As a matter of course, whatever
cuttings of tender plants are struck in the open borders must
be taken up and potted for preservation through the winter,
and this should be done as early as possible after they have
made good roots, and before they begin to acquire a luxuriant
growth in consequence of the warm autumnal rains. The
small earthenware boxes and frames known as “ Lendle’s 99
and “ Looker’s,” which have been described and eulogized in
all the horticultural periodicals, are worthy of all the praise
that has been bestowed upon them, for they can be employed
to assist in summer propagating, and for preserving nearly
hardy subjects through the winter, and for raising seeds on
sunny borders in spring, and for many other purposes of the
utmost importance to the amateur, and especially such an one
as cannot boast of capacious plant-houses and endless ap¬
pliances in aid of cultivation.

The great demand for space in greenhouses and pits is a
matter of consideration in every garden where bedding plants

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

5 7

are cultivated. The practitioner will not proceed far without
discovering that it is a matter of the greatest importance to
make the most of the daylight that can be obtained in com¬
bination with shelter. Various contrivances are resorted to
with this object, and of necessity rectangular receptacles of
some sort or other take precedence of circular ones in the
economy of space. Bedding plants thrive in a most satisfac¬
tory manner in all their earlier stages of growth in shallow-
wooden boxes, and in many cases these may be obtained from
the household store free of cost. In any case the boxes should
be comparatively small for convenience of lifting, but the only
important point is that they should be shallow, say, averaging
four inches in depth, or six inches at the utmost. Having
command of waste boxes and waste cardboards in considerable
quantity years ago, we adopted a mode of combining the two
which resulted in a great saving of both space and labour in
the propagation and preserving of bedding plants. We must
endeavour to explain the method, because to many a reader it
may prove invaluable.

In the diagrams on p. 58, the first represents the box ready
for use. Each compartment is filled with suitable compost,
say, loam two parts, leaf-mould one part, sharp sand one part.
The little seedlings or newly-struck cuttings are planted in the
divisions singly, and at planting-out time each plant is pre¬
sented to the hand in a single square block ; there is no divi¬
sion necessary, not a fibre as fine as gossamer need be injured
or disturbed. The sides and bottom of the box are wood ; the
divisions are thick cardboard. Suppose a fig box with the
bottom knocked out. How, across the bottom, at each end,
nail a strip of wood. Hext cut a piece of thin wood to make
a loose bottom, the full size of the box, and drop it into the
box to rest upon the two slips. Suppose the cardboard divi¬
sions next inserted, then, by turning the box on one side, and
placing both hands against the loose bottom, as in Fig. 3, a
little pressure with the fingers wmuld thrust out the loose
bottom and the cardboard divisions. The two slips over which
the hands pass remain firm, because nailed down to the bottom
edge of the box. You have only to suppose the divisions filled
with plants, and Fig. 3 wmuld explain the process of “ turning
out” not one from a pot, but fifteen from a box. The bottom
being loose, yields to the pressure of the hands, just as the
large crock in the bottom of a pot yields to the pressure of a

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

finger if the pot is inverted. But the contrivance is not used
in such a way at all. It is so engraved in order to convey an
accurate idea of its construction. When full of plants it has
hut to he lifted on to a hrick and the surrounding sides drop
down and leave the soil divided hy the pasteboard in the most
handy position possible for operations. These pasteboards
are all that remain to be explained. They are first cut to fit
the box, and then are slit half-way so as to fit together firmly,
the short cross pieces being slit from the side which forms
their bottom edge, and the long pieces from the side wdiich
forms their top edge. As they fit together firmly, each divi¬
sion remains intact to the last. Then, to liberate each block
for planting, the cross pieces are successively removed, which
frees the outside blocks, and, lastly, the two long slips are re¬
moved and the remainder are ready. Those who suppose this
to be a frail affair are mistaken. The cardboard will last two
seasons, and the wood- work a life-time. Any sized box that
can be lifted easily when full of soil can be employed in this
system of plant culture, but as it is well to name a size, it
may be understood that they should be eighteen inches long,
ten inches wide, and five inches deep. This will allow of
divisions three inches square, in which a very large amount of
soil may be placed. Those who can obtain waste card, which
is largely produced in some businesses, may grow all their bed-
ders in this fashion. Probably zinc would be equally manage¬
able, but not having tried it, we name it only at a rude guess.

Having got into winter work we present here figures of a
frame suitable for keeping calceolarias, the silvery-leaved cine¬
rarias, and the centaureas,
if placed in a dry and shel¬
tered position ; with pro¬
tective cover to keep out
frost, and a rack within
which the mats, or frigi-
domo, used during win¬
ter may be stored away
neatly, and covered with
the glass lights placed
sloping upon it. The pro¬
tective frame is made the

size of a frame-light, with diagonal braces, and bound at the
corners with iron hoop ; and at each end is a small chain with

CO tiie amateur’s flower garden.

T link, to drop into a staple fixed in the frame or pit, by
which means the frames are secured in their places. The

scantling of timber used
is 2 inches by 1\ inch,
upon which is strained
stout canvas, projecting a
little over one edge of the
frame so that, when more
than one is required, the
projecting edge laps over
the next light, and keeps
the wet from going be¬
tween. After it is strained upon the frame, it should be
well painted — the frame should have been painted before.
The rack, upon which the lights are stored when not in use,
may be made to hold any number required. The timber used
for the rack must, of course, be of much larger scantling than
that for the frames.

Preparations for planting out must be made early in the
spring. Plants that are tall and gawky must be cut back.
Plants that are in a crowded, starving state in pots or boxes
should be shaken out and potted separately. Plants from

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

which, cuttings are to he taken should he put into a warm
place, to promote a free growth of young shoots for the pur¬
pose. Plants that are comparatively hardy should be taken
from the greenhouse and other warm places to cool pits and
frames, where they may he inured to the air hy degrees. At
last, when the weather is favourable, about the end of April,
or a week later, a regular movement must be made for a
general “hardening off” of the entire stock. Begin with
calceolarias and other nearly hardy plants. Pollow with the
hardiest of the geraniums ; and, as the season advances, pro¬
ceed until the ten derest plants, such as coleus and alternan-
thera, have been turned out. But, where are they to go ?
Common pits and frames of the roughest sort will answer
the purpose, and even old boxes on which boards can be laid
may be turned to account, because while the sunshine and the
air is mild, the plants are to be fully exposed ; but are, at
first, to be covered up at night, and during great part of the
day, if the weather is unkind. Here is a figure of a “ cradle ”
for hardening plants,
and as it is the best
contrivance of the
kind in use, it will
be proper to explain
its construction. The
cradle is four feet
■wide, and of any
length required. The
sides and ends are formed of deal planks, nine inches wide.
These need not be planed, but a little neat carpentering will
render them more durable, as well as more sightly. A bar of
scantling forms the top, or ridge, and a similar bar is fixed on
each side to form the slope. The bed is covered with clean
gravel or coal-ashes, and on it the pots are placed. For cover¬
ing, mats or cheap canvas may be employed ; and it is a small
task, night and morning, to cover and uncover, and give a
little water to the plants if they require it. As a rule, how¬
ever, one part of the hardening process consists in keeping
the plants rather dry, that they may the better endure the
change of temperature consequent on their first expeTience of
out-door life. A cheaper cradle may be extemporized by
means of posts and nets, as shown in the figure on the next
page.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

It is the common belief that bedding plants require no
preparation of soil for their well-doing out of doors ; and to
that belief we may attribute a large proportion of the failures
that occur, especially in unfavourable seasons. In peculiarly
kind summers, when showers and sunshine alternate, and
no extremes of heat or cold occur, the shortcomings of
the cultivator may not be made manifest ; but in such a
summer as 1860, when there was no sunshine, but continuous
rain instead; or in such summers as 1868 and 1870, when
there was not a drop of rain for months together, but tropical
heat instead — then it is that real cultivation is plainly distin¬
guished by its results from the slipshod pretence of cultiva¬
tion that begins with a hoe and ends with a rake, and knows
nothing of the soil at one foot depth from the surface. The
fact is, flower-beds need frequent deep stirring and periodical

manuring, and the several beds, in a scheme for which many
sorts of plants have been prepared, should be severally pre¬
pared to receive them. This direction imparts an air of com¬
plication to the business, but we cannot twist nature to suit
the indolent gardener. We must keep the truth in view, and
advise those who cannot growbedding plants to do without them
altogether ; for a shabby geometric garden is one of the shab¬
biest of shabby things to be found amongst the demonstrations
of pretentious gentility. But the special preparation of every
bed for the plants it is to receive is not so serious an affair as
it looks. The fact is, the best general preparation is. a deep
stirring of the soil at every change of crop, and the incorpo¬
ration — a week or two before planting, if possible ; but, if
not, immediately before planting — of a sufficient dressing of
manure for the plants tlrnt require it. Free-growing plants

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

of robust habit, such as geraniums, do not require manure,
unless the staple soil is exceptionally poor. Succulent plants,
such as echeverias and sempervivums, will do better in a poor
soil than a rich one, and may be aided by the addition of1
sand and broken chalk or plaster to the plots they are to fill.
A few peculiar-habited plants, such as calceolarias, verbenas,
and lobelias, really require a rich and very mellow soil, and
the beds they are to be planted in should be dressed with
well-rotted hot-bed manure and leaf-mould some time in
advance of planting.

The distances at which the plants are placed in the beds
must be regulated both by consideration of their habits and
the requirements of the cultivator. In town gardens that
are required to be very gay during June and J uly, and may
be anyhow in the later months of the summer, the bedding
plants should be crowded in the beds to produce an effect
quickly. In gardens that are not likely to be seen until
August and September, thin planting may be practised, and
all flower-buds must be picked off as fast as they appear
until about six weeks before the “ opening-day.” In the
generality of gardens, the plants should be put so close that
they may be expected to meet by the middle of July. This
method will/ allow of the taking cuttings at the end of July
without serious damage to the beds ; but it is always prefer¬
able to have a reserve of all the more important sorts in the
reserve ground expressly to cut from, so as to avoid even a
temporary diminution of the splendour of the parterre in the
very height of the season. It is the custom in some gardens
to take cuttings, in a wholesale manner and all at once, in the
early part of August ; and the result is, the beds for a fort¬
night afterwards look as if they had been mown for hay, and
for the next fortnight they look so green and flowerless that
they ought to be mown again. It is astonishing how many
absurdities belong as it were of necessity to the bedding sys¬
tem, though of necessity they are all extraneous to it. As for
taking up and storing before winter returns, only one remark
shall be made. Take up in good time, and pot and house
with care, whatever is worth keeping and is really wT anted.
But make no scruple of destroying whatever is not worth
keeping, or is not wanted, and let the destruction be accom¬
plished in a quick and cleanly way. Our way is, to pull the
plants out and lay them in a heap, then to remove the top

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

soil of the bed, and throw in the heap of plants, and dig
them into the second spit or undercrust, and then to return
the top soil, and at once plant bulbs for spring flowering.
This is better, we think, than storing up the plants in a heap
to poison the atmosphere, or than allowing them to remain in
the beds after their (beauty is past — a bugbear to the eye, and
a testimony of slovenliness. Tastes differ, and “ every one to
his taste ” is a motto that very well suits a land of liberty
and a nation of gardeners.

CHAPTER Y.

A SELECTION OF BEDDING PLANTS*

The preceding chapter has disposed of all the general matterg
in connection with the cultivation of bedding plants, and it
now becomes necessary to enumerate the principal subjects
employed in bedding, and offer a few practical observations on
their characters, uses, and the most convenient modes of culti¬
vating them. The alphabetical arrangement adopted will facili¬
tate reference, and it is hoped the very brief hints on selecting
and multiplying the several varieties will be found sufficient, in
connection with advices offered elsewhere in these pages.

Agebatum. — This is one of the most popular plants, and is
especially useful for ribbon borders, for the contrast of its
grey or bright blue flowers with scarlet geraniums or crimson
petunias. All the varieties may be raised from cuttings in
spring ; but it is far better to raise from seed, as they occasion
less trouble, and, as a rule, maintain their character suffi¬
ciently for practical purposes. A. Mexicanum , the species
originally cultivated, has of late been greatly improved in a
series of dwarf varieties. The dwarfest of them is Tom
Thumb , which, in ordinary soils and situations, does not
exceed six inches in height. It is most valuable for edging
purposes where a band of pale blue is required next grass or
gravel, and for panel beds, because of its neat habit. It,
however, is hardly robust enough for very poor soils. Im¬
perial Dwarf usually attains a height ranging from six to
nine inches, and is remarkably neat and compact in habit. It
can be employed as a first or second row plant, or as a centre
in small beds. Prince Alfred is rather taller than either of
the preceding, and is therefore more valuable for large beds
or ribbon borders, excepting for outside rows. The seed
should be sown in a gentle heat in February, and when the
plants are well established in the small pots in which they

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

are put from the seed pots, they must be stopped, to induce
them to produce side-shoots and form bushy specimens by
planting-time.

Alternanthera. — This genus presents us a series of lovely
little plants with red, crimson, or orange-tinted leaves, which
are valuable for edging flower-beds, and eminently so for leaf-
embroidery. They are tender plants, and require more than
ordinary care in their cultivation ; hence it is not unusual to
hear them spoken of slightingly as comparatively worthless.
As to planting them, it is utterly useless to put out plants that
are not much larger than “ darning needles for, if they
grow at all, the summer wflll be past before they can fill the
space allotted to them. To insure bushy little plants by the
end of the spring, the cuttings should be struck moderately
early in the autumn, and wintered near the glass in a stove
or warm greenhouse ; during the early spring months, after
the plants are potted off separately, they can be growm in a
comparatively cool temperature. It is not necessary to pot
them off in the autumn, and a few panfuls of cuttings take up
but little space. When the propagation of the bulk of the
stock is deferred until spring, it is difficult to strike the
cuttings early enough to afford the plants sufficient time to
attain their proper size by the planting- out season ; to force
them in much heat will render them less able to battle with
unfavourable weather when first put out in their summer
quarters. It is also important to plant them in beds situated
in a warm sheltered situation, and they do much better if the
surface of the bed is elevated a few inches above the general
level. The best of the varieties is A. magnified. It combines
the vigour of growth of A. paronychioides with the rich leaf¬
colouring of A. amcena , both of which are good. A. spathulata
and A. versicolor are of little use for outdoor work.

Amaranthus. — The most popular plant in this section is
A. melancholiacs , with beautiful claret-coloured leaves. The
scarcely-known A . tricolor presents the most brilliant leaf
colours of any plant in the garden, but is peculiarly tender
and is rarely seen well grown. A newer variety, called A .
eleg antis simus, equals tricolor in beauty, and is somewhat
more vigorous in habit and more constant in colouring. They
are all raised from seed, which should be sown in March in a
gentle heat, and the seedlings pricked out into pans and boxes
a3 soon as they are large enough to handle. They may be

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

sown in April and May, for planting out after early-flowering
annuals, and for succeeding other subjects that do not last the
season through. It is of the utmost importance to obtain
good seed and to sow plenty of it, for in spite of the greatest
care in saving the seed a large proportion of the plants of the
two last-named kinds will be so poorly coloured as to be
useless for bedding purposes ; but when the seed is saved
carelessly not more than twenty-five per cent, of the produce
will be of any use. When they are strong enough for potting
off, destroy all that are entirely green, and pot the others off
separately. The exact number of plants required should be
determined upon, and thirty per cent, more potted than will
be wanted, to allow of that number of the worst being dis¬
carded at the planting-time. By carrying out this plan, the
plants with the most richly-coloured leafage only need be
planted ; and as no other plants suitable for bedding purposes
possess such gorgeous leaf- tints, the appearance of a well-
filled bed is most magnificent. A. melancholicus always comes
true from seed, and is one of the easiest plants to grow that
was ever seen in a garden.

Beet is not to be considered a desirable plant for the
flower garden, but as it is often used, it must have a place
here. The best for the flower garden are Dell's Crimson and
Barr's New Crimson Leaf. Both are compact in growth and
rich in colour. The roots are of fair average quality, and can
be used for salads, in the same manner as the varieties usually
grown in the kitchen garden. The seed can be sown in the
beds early in May, or it maybe sown in a cold frame in April
and transplanted into the beds when the other bedders are
put out. Beds filled with beet should have a broad edging of
centaureas or variegated geraniums, to prevent anything but
a level surface of leaves of the beet being seen. The soil should
be dug rather deeply to enable the roots to strike down, or
the roots will be forked and of no use for culinary purposes.
The Chilian beet, excepting for wildernesses, is worthless,
and should not be grown.

Bouvardia. — A small bed of mixed sorts has a very pretty
effect, especially if a few plants of the blue-flowered Plumbago
capensis are mixed with them. The bed in which the Bou-
vardias are to be planted should be ' prepared, if practicable,
as advised for the Lantanas, and strong bushy plants should
be put out. They are usually propagated in July, and potted

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

off when nicely rooted into three-inch pots. Then by the
middle of March they are strong enough to be shifted into
pots one size larger. We stop them about three times during
the period between their being potted off singly and their being
put out in the flower garden, and by the end of May they are
usually bushy little specimens and begin to flower at once.
In the autumn a dozen or so are taken up and carefully
potted and placed in a warm greenhouse, wThere they bloom
profusely throughout the winter. The best for the flower-
garden is B. angustifolia , which is of no use for the winter.
Brilliant , cerise; Belicata , pink; Elegant , scarlet, and Hog aril i>
scarlet, are also good.

Calceolaria. — The chief fault of the calceolaria is its in¬
constancy. It is not uncommon for all the calceolarias in the
country to perish about the middle of July, leaving the par¬
terres they should have adorned with masses of golden flowers,
abominably ugly with their withered stumps, or, at the best,
obnoxious blanks. In the experimental garden at Stoke
Newington the cultivation of this plant has received consider¬
able attention, and it is believed that every difficulty expe¬
rienced by amateurs may be overcome by the adoption of the
system of cultivation which will now be recommended. The
only varieties suitable for bedding are those of decidedly
shrubby habit, which produce comparatively small flowers.
Those that have somewhat soft stems, and large leaves and
large flowers, partake too much of the characters of the
herbaceous section to be fit for battling with the vicissitudes
of outdoor life, and, moreover, they always produce their
flowers in a series of efforts, and not continuously. The
proper time to propagate them is from the middle of Septem¬
ber to the middle of November, when they do not require
heat ; but they may be very quickly multiplied by cuttings in
a gentle heat in spring ; and if the summer is favourable to
calceolarias, spring-struck plants do well, though they do not
begin to flower so early as those struck in autumn. There
can be no better method of procedure than to make up a bed
of light soil, consisting of such materials as leaf-mould, sweep¬
ings of a manure heap, half-decayed moss, and the sandy stuff
thrown out of pots in the potting-slieds. The bed should be
in a frame or pit, within a foot of the glass, or on the border
of a cool vinery or peach-house, as near the glass as possible.
Prepare the cuttings from soft side-shoots, and plant them.

THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEN.

firmly in the bed, about three inches apart, and keep them
regularly sprinkled to maintain their freshness until they
are rooted, after which they will require but little more atten¬
tion beyond watering, ventilating, and protecting from frost.
They must be wintered rather dry, and have plenty of air, or
many will perish. There is yet another extremely simple, but
most effectual, method of procedure. Its first requisite is a
greenhouse, or pit, which is sufficiently heated to keep out
frost. In this structure the bed is to be made up near the
glass, of some such light kindly soil as recommended for the
frame. Leave the plants in the ground until the middle of
October, or, if the weather permits, until the middle of No¬
vember ; then pull them to pieces so as to separate the best
young shoots with a heel, and strip the bottom leaves from
them, and dib them in, and press them firm, and the work
may be considered finished. As for the roots, throw them
away. They may be crowded together so as to make a solid
field of leafage ; but, as a rule may be useful, we will say plant
them three inches apart. A slight sprinkle over the tops
occasionally will be good for them, but they must be kept
rather dry, and must have a little heat to help them through
frosty weather. No matter which of these two methods be
adopted, the whole of the plants must be lifted in the first
week of March, and be planted out in beds of light rich earth
in frames facing the south, where they will make rapid pro¬
gress if taken care of. The latter part of the month of April
is the proper time to plant calceolarias ; if the planting is
deferred the plants are endangered. The beds for calceolarias
should be prepared by deep digging and liberal manuring with
rotten hotbed manure and leaf-mould ; and if there is no leaf-
mould at command, use an additional dressing of the hotbed
manure in place of it. If planted in poor ill-dressed soil, the
plants are endangered; in fact, the principal reason of the
failure of the calceolaria in a hot dry season is defective root-
hold, the result of planting late in poor soil, the plants having
been already nearly starved to death in pots as a preparation
for their final extinction. In the operation of planting the
plants should always be put into the ground as deep as pos¬
sible, but of course without burying the branching portion of
the stem. Deep planting encourages the formation of a fresh
set of roots, and places the roots already formed at the greatest
possible distance from the surface, where they are compara-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

tively safe against the exhaustive action of a hot sun. As to
watering, one or two liberal doses may be given within the
first ten days after planting, but it is far better to give none
at all if only the ground is moist enough to carry them on
safely until the next rains occur. A considerable quantity of
bedding plants are killed every year by watering them, or
rather, by tormenting them, with a pretence of watering. As
for varieties, there are not many good ones, but the few that
are most worthy of attention are wondrously brilliant if they
happen to behave well. Amplexicaulis is the tallest in growth*
the flowers are palest yellow. Aurea Jloribunda , Canariensis,
Gaines's Yellow , and Golden Gem have deep yellow flowers,,
and in habit are dwarf anl compact. The red and brown
varieties are simply useless.

Centaurea.; — The silvery-leaved centaureas are among the
most striking and valuable of the leaf plants we possess, and
especially to contrast with the crimson and chocolate- coloured
coleus. Fortunately they are very hardy and quite easy to
grow, though there has been much said about the cultivation
of them by folks who sought or imagined difficulties. Tbe
best way to raise a stock is by sowing seed. Many culti¬
vators find it an easy matter to strike cuttings in autumn, and
others cannot accomplish the feat. But any one may strike
them in the spring and insure a stock writh ease and rapidity.
Before spring- cuttings can be obtained, however, a sufficient
number of old plants have to be housed and carefully attended
to throughout the winter, or a large proportion will rot off
just above the soil, and, as a matter of course, perish. Having
brought them safely through the winter, we have to place
them in a genial temperature of between 55° and 60° soon
after Christmas to start them into a steady growth. If all
goes on right, they will produce a nice crop of cuttings,
which, if taken off with the smallest heel possible, inserted in
cutting pots, and the pots plunged into a brisk bottom-heat
in the propagating pit, a large proportion will soon strike and
in time make plants. This manner of dealing with them in
large gardens is by no means difficult, as there will be a
peach-house or vinery at work in which the old stock plants
can be placed, and also a cucumber bed or a propagating pit
in which the cutting pots can be plunged. But what can the
owner of a greenhouse and a few pits do with them ? Simply
nothing !

CLEMATIS STAR OF INDIA.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

This consideration brings ns back to the subject of seed,
and it is by no means bad practice for the amateur to save his
own. A stock of old plants must be kept for this purpose,
and for small gardens about twelve or fifteen will produce
sufficient. That number should be put by at planting-out
time every year, and be potted into six-inch pots, and the pots
plunged in a bed of coal-ashes in the full sun. They should
remain in the open until the end of September, and then be
placed in a cold frame, where they can have protection from
heavy rains, and, at the same time, be exposed to the air. In
the spring and early part of the following summer they will
flower profusely, and, if placed in a light, airy position, will
produce an abundance of seed. The seed must be sown as
soon as gathered, in pans in the usual way, and the pans must
be placed in a cold frame. The seedlings, if potted off when of
a fair size into small pots and kept close for a fortnight, will
make nice plants for the following season. The young stock
should be removed to the open when nicely established, and
be wintered in a cold frame, with a mat or litter thrown over
the glass to keep out the frost. The greatest enemy to cen-
taureas during the wdnter is damp ; therefore no more water
must be administered than is really necessary.

The two best for front lines are G. argentea plumosa and G .
ragusina comjpacta. Both are very neat in growth, and won¬
derfully effective. G. gymnocarga is immensely valuable for
back rows and centres of large beds, and G. ragusina is equally
valuable for second rows. Both grow rather coarse in rich
soil, and therefore when employed in conjunction with sub¬
jects that require a liberal share of nourishment, they should
be plunged in the beds instead of being turned out of the
pots.

Cineraria. — The “ silver-frosted ” plant has lost much of
its popularity within the past few years on account of the
superior claims of the centaureas. But it is, and always will
be, valued for its distinct silvery-grey colour, neat habit, and
hardiness. In all respects the cultivation should be the same
as* advised for the centaureas. (7. maritima is the best known
of the series, but G. acanthifolia surpasses it in silvery white¬
ness and is to be preferred.

Clematis.— The new garden varieties may be described as
“ sensation ” bedders, for if large compartments can be de¬
voted to them, they produce a wonderful display of crimson,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

purple, and blue flowers. They will thrive in any good garden
soil that is well drained, and, generally speaking, adapted to
bedding plants. But the soil which suits them best is a light,
rich, sandy loam ; the lighter the soil the better, but it cannot
be too deep or too well drained. They are hardy enough for
all except the bleakest climates in these islands, but a warm
sheltered position and full exposure to sunshine are conditions
that conduce greatly to their prosperity, and, consequently, to
their abundant flowering. They should be planted two to three
feet apart in large clumps. A number of varieties may be
mixed, as they all present shades of crimson and purple, but
the most decided effect will be produced by employing one
showy variety for a bed, or a number of varieties distinctly
arranged in bands or rows. Some time in June the beds
should be covered with two inches deptli of half-rotten
manure, put on carefully. The plants will soon cover and
hide it, and will enjoy the moist surface it will insure them
during the heat of the summer. As the plants progress they
must be pegged down a little higher than verbenas, and quite
as regularly. All the growth they make should be left until
the month of April following, when the whole of the plants
should be cut back to within six inches of the ground. The
best way to multiply them is to put down layers in August,
but young shoots may be struck under hand-glasses in June.
The best varieties for bedding are : Jachnani , violet purple ;
Ruhr o -viol ace a , reddish violet ; Rubella , deep claret ; Yiticella
amethystina , pale violet blue ; Tunbridcjensis , dark blue ; Lanu¬
ginosa pallida , lilac ; Lanuginosa Candida , white.

Coleus. — A few of the varieties of coleus are gorgeous in
their leaf-colouring and invaluable as bedders, but some thirty
or forty kinds, supposed to be “ in cultivation,” are scarcely
better for outdoor purposes than nettles from the hedgerows.
To grow these plants is easy enough, provided they can be
wintered in a stove or intermediate house, and be propagated
early over a tank or on a good hotbed. They cannot be win¬
tered in the cool temperature that suffices for geraniums,
centaureas, and verbenas, and it is but inviting vexation Jo
attempt it. But given warmth enough and the matter is dis¬
posed of, for they grow with the vigour of nettles if they grow
at all. During winter keep them rather dry and near the
glass, and never allow a drop of water to touch the leaves.
Early in spring strike the cuttings in a moist heat of 70°, and

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

pot off the young plants in a light rich compost. Do not he
in haste either to turn them out to harden or to plant them in
the beds. The middle of May is early enough to put them in
frames, and the first week in June early enough to plant out.
The best of all the varieties is G. Yerschaffelti ; but Emperor
Napoleon , Frincess of Wales , and Baroness Rothschild are useful
where more than one sort is required.

Dianthus, or Indian Pink. — The varieties of Dianthus
Heddeioegi are so wonderfully showy, and so easily raised,
that it is surprising they are not more generally grown. D.
II. diadematus fl.-pl. and D. H. laciniatus fl.-pl. are, perhaps,
the most valuable. A packet of seed of each of the varieties
will yield a number of colours of the most attractive character.
They are not so suitable for geometric schemes as many other
things, and should be planted in beds that stand out singly
upon the" lawn. Sow seed in February or March, and if any
of the plants produce peculiarly fine flowers, take cuttings of
them in June or July, in order to keep them true.

Echeveria. — The species of echeveriaare valuable in eccen¬
tric bedding, and for edgings to leaf- embroidery. They may
be propagated by seed, offsets, cuttings, and leaves. Plants
raised from seed sown in spring will not attain a size large
enough to be of service in the flower garden during the en¬
suing summer, but they will be valuable for the following
seasons. Echeveria seed is so minute that, like calceolaria
seed, it will perish if buried too deep. Previous to sowing, it
is essential to make the surface perfectly level with a piece of
board, or one part of the seed will be buried to a great depth,
and the other will not be covered at all. The seed-pans should
be placed in a brisk temperature. Offsets may be taken off
and potted at any time, except the depth of winter. To pro¬
pagate by leaves, take them off the plant by a snap with the
thumb, so as to have the base complete. To fix them base
downwards on the soil, drive through every leaf a wooden
peg ; this should be done in July and August. To winter
these plants, pot them in very sandy compost, with plenty of
drainage in the pots, and keep them as near the glass as pos¬
sible, and allow them but a moderate supply of water.

Fuchsia. — This most elegant of greenhouse plants is of
small value for bedding, but is occasionally employed with
good effect in beds that stand apart from groups, and there
can be no finer subjects than large pot fuchsias for the terrace

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

walk, and to form groups on the lawn on fete days. To grow
the fuchsia is like turning the key in a lock : turn it the
right way, and the lock responds ; turn it the wrong way, and
resistance forebodes failure. In the early months of the year
fuchsias should grow fast, and the principal agents to pro¬
mote growth are warmth and moisture. In a dry, much-
ventilated house, fuchsias fade away as if blighted, no matter
how good the soil may be in which they are grown. But
keep them rather close in a temperature of 50° to 60° or
70° as the season advances, and aid with frequent syringing
from the time they begin to grow in spring until they no
longer need artificial heat, and they will grow freely, even in a
bad soil. But they require good living, and there can be no
better mixture for them than two parts of mellow turfy loam and
one part each of rotten hotbed manure and good leaf-mould.
At all seasons they need more moisture at the root than the
generality of greenhouse plants, and even in winter should
never be quite dry. To propagate them is an extremely easy
matter, and the best time for the amateur is in February,
when young shoots an inch or two long strike as by magic
in a moist heat of about 60°. When planted out select
a rather shady moist situation, and prepare the bed with a
good dressing of leaf-mould and manure. The light kinds
make the best display in beds, but the dark grow most freely.
The following light flowers are the best for beds : Guiding Star ,
Mrs . Marshall , JBrilliantissima , Minnie Banks. The following
dark varieties are fine : Splendour , William Tell , King of
Stripes , Model. The variegated-leaved varieties are extremely
showy, especially Cloth of Gold , Meteor , Golden Treasure , and
Uegalia.

Heliotropium. — If the heliotropes lack colour, they make
amends by their delicious odour. A few of the newer kinds,
howmver, present us with fine dark blue or violet flowers.
They may be raised from seed or cuttings with the greatest
ease by the aid of heat in spring. When planted out, a poor
soil suits them best, and when housed for the winter they
must have but little water, and never experience the slightest
touch of frost. The best are Florence Nightingale , Sur passe
Gauscoi , Ftoile de Marseille , and Modele.

Iresene. — The most valuable of all the dark-leaved bed¬
el ers sent out for many years past is Iresene Lindeni. It is
neat and compact in growth, possesses a hardy constitution,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and the colour of the foliage is the richest sanguineous red
imaginable. For centres of beds and second and third rows
it is all that can be desired. It is more effective than any
other plant of a similar character, and it can be wintered in a
cool greenhouse ; indeed, it has made us independent of the
coleus, and is therefore of immense value to amateurs.

Lantanas. — These are not well understood, or they would be
employed extensively in the summer decoration of the flower-
garden. All the varieties are not suited for the open ground,
but a few are marvellously showy. They, however, do not
flower in all soils and situations alike, as they require a
warmer soil than the generality of bedders ; but they will
flower profusely in naturally cold soils if the precaution is
taken to elevate the bed in which they are planted six or
eight inches above the general level. In naturally warm and
dry soils the beds should of course be on the level, or in very
hot weather the plants will be dried up unless they are
watered frequently. The soil of the beds should not be too
rich or too poor, and should, if practicable, be dressed with
leaf-mould or vegetable refuse, instead of with decayed hot¬
bed or stable manure. The cultivation may be generally
described as corresponding with that of the pelargonium, but
it is best to propagate by cuttings in spring in a brisk moist
heat, and to winter the old plants in a rather warmer house
than pelargoniums require. Old plants make magnificent
beds in isolated sunny spots in a good season. The following
are fine varieties : — Bom Calmet , lilac pink and yellow, com¬
pact in growth, and most profuse in flowering ; Jean Bart ,
yellow and bronze, very dwarf and free flowering, one of the
very best ; Monsieur Escarpit, deep rosy purple, very distinct •
Cauvin , yellow and rosy. The best of the older sorts are —
Alba lutea grandijlora , white and yellow ; Imperatrice Eugenie ,
rosy pink, very dwarf and free, the best for edging purposes
Adolphe Ilwass , canary yellow ; Mons. Bougier , yellow bor¬
dered with reddish scarlet ; Rcempler , crimson and orange
Roi des Rouges , scarlet and orange ; and Victoire , pure white.

Lobelia. — The smaller kinds are immensely popular, but
few amateurs grow the stately and gorgeous varieties of what
is called the “herbaceous section,” nor, sumptuous as they
are, have they any right to special notice here, for they are
not bedding jolants. Our little friend, L . erimis , is the centre
of the group, from which are derived the bright blue, deep

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

indigo, grey, and rosy-flowering varieties in request every¬
where for marginal lines and edgings ; the very perfection of
bedding plants, which, any one may grow with but a trifling
exhibition of skill and patience, with, the aid of a glass struc¬
ture of some kind or other, it scarcely matters how rough and
simple. We have before now made a good edging of lobelias
without taking a cutting or sowing a seed, for we have found
self-sown plants in myriads, in pots of geraniums, and on
beds of earth in the greenhouses, and even on brick walls and
planks under glass everywhere ; and have left them alone
until wanted, and then, on some mild, cloudy day, have trans¬
ferred them to the open ground, and left them to settle ac¬
counts with the weather and take their chance for weal or woe.
The best plan to adopt for securing a good stock is to raise
the plants from cuttings, selecting for the purpose the best
varieties obtainable. In the first place, plant out a few of the
selected sorts, at the end of May, in some out-of-the-way
place, and let them grow and flower as they like. About the
middle of July, cut them down pretty close to the ground,
and they will soon after bristle with new tender shoots. These
must not be allowed to flower, but, as soon as they have at¬
tained a length of about two inches, take them off, and dibble
them into a bed of sandy soil, in a frame, or under hand¬
glasses or propagating-boxes, and keep them shaded and
sprinkled until they have made roots. If they run up quickly
to flower, nip out the flower-buds to keep them stocky and
strong. Take up early, and pot carefully, and keep near the
glass all winter, never allowing them to flower. In February
these will supply cuttings in great quantity, and any one wrho
can strike a cutting may make a good plant of every one of
them. To raise them from seed is a still simpler matter, and
if the seed has been carefully saved, the plants will be tole¬
rably uniform in character, and will be good enough for large
gardens, where a few spurious plants in a mass will not be
noticed ; but seedlings are not to be depended on for highly-
finished work. Sow the seed in pans or boxes of fine rich sandy
soil, covering it with a mere dust of peat or finely-sifted leaf-
mould. The seed need not be sown until March, as the
plants grow rapidly when they have made a fair start. Lobe¬
lias should not be planted out in flower, or with the flower-
buds visible. It is best to cut the tops off the plants a week
before planting, which will promote a bushy growth, and

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

prepare them to throw out roots vigorously when planted.
If planted in flower, they may be expected soon after to go
out of flower and remain blank for a month. If treated as
here advised, they will be blank about a fortnight at first,
and will then flower freely for the remainder of the season.

None of the old varieties, such as speciosa and gracilis , are
now worth growing, because better are at command. The
very dwarf sorts, known as the Pumila section, are exqui¬
sitely beautiful, forming dense cushions solid with bloom of
the most pure and brilliant colours. The most useful of them
are — Grandiflora , deep blue ; Azurea , light blue ; and Annie ,
lilac. The following are also first-rate for various purposes in
the parterre, and also make charming pot-plants : — Indigo JBluer
intense deep indigo blue ; Spedabilis , deep cobalt blue ; Tren-
tham Blue , clear blue, white eye ; and Mauve Queen , rosy lilac.

Marigolds are not to be despised, because the little orange-
flowered Tagetes is one of the best bedding-plants known, and
a capital substitute for the calceolaria on soils that do not suit
that capricious plant. They are all grown from seed, and as
to their requirements, they are real “poor man’s plants.”
But let us consider the large-flowering marigolds first. The
Miniature or Pigmy and the Bivarf French Marigolds must
not be despised by those who have not the means of growing
yellow calceolarias. They are very dwarf in growth, tho
varieties of the miniature section ranging from six to nine
inches in height, and those of the dwarf section averaging
twelve inches. They vary considerably in habit, unless un¬
usual care is taken in saving the seed ; hence it is most im¬
portant to obtain it from a respectable source. The yellow-
flowered varieties of both sections will be the most useful for
bedding purposes. The brown and striped-flowered varieties
are very distinct, but they can only be employed in the mixed
border, or in an isolated bed. In ordering the seed, it will be
necessary to state the colour required. The dwarf-growing
Tagetes signata pumila is the most formidable opponent the
yellow-flowering calceolarias have yet had to encounter, for it
grows freely and blooms most profusely where the calceolaria
cannot exist. Indeed, it ought not to be planted in very rich
soil, because, when supplied with a large amount of nourish¬
ment, many of the plants will become over-luxuriant, and
hide a considerable proportion of the flowers with the foliage.
To raise a stock with the least amount of trouble possible,,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

sow the seed in March, and place the seed-pans in a frame or
greenhouse, and, as soon as the plants are well up, place the
pans in a position where they will enjoy full exposure to the
light, and a moderate amount of air. Prepare a bed of light
loamy soil in a cold frame, or where it can be covered with
lights for a few weeks in a sheltered corner, and then prick
out the plants, as soon as they attain an inch in height, at a
distance of not less than three inches apart. When the bed
is filled, water liberally to settle the soil, keep close for a few
days, and shade, to enable them to become established quickly.
Afterwards ventilate freely, and when the weather will permit
draw the lights off altogether. Coddling must be avoided in
all stages, or they will be drawn up tall and lanky : a state of
things by no means desirable. They should have no more
protection, after they are put out in the frame, than is really
necessary to protect them from sharp cutting winds and
frosts. The seed-pans should not be placed in a propagating
frame or other structure in which a high temperature is main¬
tained. Plant out, nine inches apart, in May, and keep a
watch over their growth. Any of them that threaten to make
a rank growth should be destroyed, and the gaps will soon be
hidden.

Mesembryanthemum. — A few of these are invaluable for
hot dry positions, and especially for sunny slopes and odd
places, where ordinary bedding plants would be starved, or,
if they prospered, would be too showy. The best rule for
growing these is to strike cuttings in July, and winter them
in sandy soil in a sunny greenhouse, keeping them rather dry.
The best for bedding are M. conspicuum , If. sjpectabile , If. for -
mosiun, M. blanclum , If. glaucum , M. curvifloruin , ]\1 . auran-
tium , M. lejpidum, If. polyantJion , M. glomeratum , M. coccineum
major , If. diver sifolium, M. inclaudens , If. jtoribundum , JLf.
anreum.

Nierembergia. — One sweet little plant of this family is
useful to make miniature masses and bands of compara¬
tively unattractive white flowers, and especially useful to
plant at the sides of rustic baskets, to fall over and make
festoons and ringlets of fairy flowers. The stock for bed¬
ding purposes is raised from cuttings in spring; but old
plants are best for rustic vases, and for clothing sloping
banks. N. gracilis is the most useful; indeed, the pretty
N. frutescens and 2V". rivularis are of no use as bedders.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Pansy. — A considerable number of fine bedding pansies
have, within the past few years, been introduced to gardens
as bedding plants, greatly to the disappointment of many who
were not cognizant of their real characters, and who asso¬
ciated them with geraniums, verbenas, and petunias in the
expectation of late summer and autumnal bloom. It may be
said, with but small fear of contradiction, that no pansy or
viola is adapted for the parterre in the later months of sum¬
mer, except in a certain few localities ; but many of them are
invaluable anywhere and everywhere for their beautiful and
abundant bloom throughout April and May ; and therefore
their proper association is with arabis, alyssum, and iberis,
which flower long in advance of the summer bedders. The
best of the bedding pansies should be kept true by growing
them from cuttings, but they reproduce themselves tolerably
true from seed, and this method of multiplying them is the
easiest. Cuttings of pansies may be struck in a gentle heat
in spring ; but, to grow them successfully, cuttings should be
planted on a shady border during the summer. The earlier
they are put in, the more surely they form strong plants, and
the earlier will they flower. The cuttings require little or no
protection, except from sun, and to be kept sprinkled in dry
weather. Plenty of young rooted pieces can also be taken
away from the plants during the summer, and, if planted in
nursery beds, they will make fine plants for removing into
their winter quarters in October. Plant out in October if
possible, planting firm , and in moderately good soil, not too
rich, and the close-growing sorts closer together than the
more spreading kinds. As pansies suffer far more from cold
easterly winds than from any other cause, mulch the beds
with either half-decomposed leaf-soil or cocoa-nut refuse.
Through April, May, and June, shake a little sifted good soil
about the plants and amongst the shoots, to encourage top
roots ; and, when the shoots are long enough to require peg¬
ging down, fix them neatly to the ground, to protect them
from injury from wind, and induce them to throw out roots
and side-shoots. The pansy does not require much water,
but, in very dry hot weather, the beds should be frequently
watered with a rose watering-pot, especially night and morn¬
ing. Take especial care, in planting out in beds, to use young
plants that were struck from summer cuttings or young off¬
shoots. Old plants pulled to pieces frequently fail, or make

tiie amateur's flower garden.

only half the show that may be obtained from young ones.
In the northern parts of these islands the climate is more
favourable to pansies and violas, and they are more valuable
as bedding plants than in the warmer south. But, as re¬
marked above, for a charming display during April and May
and some part of June, there is nothing more cheap and cer¬
tain. Ho one in these realms has ever seen a bed of pansies
covered with flowers between Midsummer-day and the first of
August, and the autumnal bloom is never equal to that pro¬
duced in spring. The following are the best varieties : — Cloth
of Gold , yellow ; Sunshine , coppery orange ; Imperial Blue ,
light-blue purple; Dean's White, white; Cliveden Yellow, yel¬
low ; Magpie , purple and blue.

Pelargonium. — Under this head we must consider the
uses and characters of what are commonly called “ bedding
geraniums.” We have here nothing to do with elaborate
classifications, or with the various methods of cultivation by
which exhibition plants and new varieties are produced
therefore, though the subject might occupy a bulky volume,
we shall hope to say enough for the present purpose in a
contracted paragraph. The first thing to be said is that the
zonate pelargonium is the king of bedding plants. It may be
dispensed with, indeed, in particular styles of planting — as,
for example, the silb-tropical — but there is no other plant
capable of so many and such varied uses, and in some way or
other it might be made to play a prominent part in almost
any scheme of colouring that ever was devised. The wide
range of its characters, and consequently of its uses, is in a
■wonderful degree enhanced in value by its hardy constitution,
and the comparatively small amount of skill and labour
required in its management. Sunshine it must have, and
really that is about all it requires, if we may adopt a “ rough
and ready ” mode of expression. Speaking of the family as
a whole, it may be said that a somewhat poor soil suits them
best, but, nevertheless, the beds should be well prepared for
them, to encourage deep rooting early in the season, for a
good root-hold is essential to long-continued flowering, espe¬
cially in an exceptionally hot and dry season. Sandy and
chalky soils should be improved for geraniums by the addition
to the staple of thoroughly pulverized hotbed manure and
leaf-mould, but all good loams of average depth are sufficiently
nourishing and need not be manured. It is very bad practice

GERANIUM, -RICHARD HEAOLY,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

to water geraniums after they are planted out, but ot necessity
if the weather is particularly hot and dry immediately after
planting, they must be assisted for a week or so. It is also
bad practice to put them out full of flowers ; in fact, they
ought not to flower even while in the house, or in pits or
frames. But trusses will show themselves, and should be
pinched out before they open, and if they occur on shoots that
rise a little above the general contour, those shoots should be
at once cut back a few inches. The result of these precautions
will be to defer the first show of bloom in the beds some¬
what, but when it appears it will be more solid and con¬
tinuous than in the case of plants allowed to present odd
trusses in their own way from the month of February onwards.
All the varieties should be propagated in June, July, and
August, and be housed in good time, to prevent the rank
sappy growth that the warm autumnal rains are likely to
produce if they are left out too long. Winter them rather
dry, with abundance of light and air, and never give heat
beyond what is barely sufficient to keep out frost. Geraniums
and calceolarias will bear 5° of frost without harm in ordinary
cases ; therefore the thermometer in the house or pit appro¬
priated to these plants may sink to 27° safely. We have,
indeed, had thousands of seedling geraniums in a somewhat
sappy state through being grown from the first under glass
frozen to the extent of 10°, and have not lost a dozen in
consequence. Bub it is not well to expose plants to extreme
conditions, and the amateur cultivator is advised to maintain
the temperature of the geranium pit at all times a few degrees
above the freezing-point, for it costs little to be safe, and it
may cost much to go in the way of danger. It will not sur¬
prise the reader to be told that as geraniums differ in habit
and constitution, so they differ as to their requirements.
The differences, however, are slight, and may be disposed of
in a few words in connection with the several groups.

Single Bed Zonals. — In this class we place all the scarlet,
pink, and purple varieties, whether they have broad or
narrow petals. In other words, we do not need a class for
nosegays. It is equally unimportant wThether the leaves are
actually marked with zones or “ horseshoes,” or are wholly
green. The cultivation of these has been sufficiently de¬
scribed, and it remains, therefore, only to present a list of a
few of the very best for bedding. In selecting these, form is

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN,

of less consequence than colour, habit, and abundant flowering.
We begin, of course, with the pure Scarlet section, from which
we select Thomas Moore, Orbiculata, Attraction, Bonfire, Cybister.
From the Orange and Salmon tinted we take Hibberd's Orange
Nosegay, Beaton's Indian Yelloiv, H. W. Longfellow , Harhaivay.
Crimson and Purple tinted : Le Grand, Duchess of Sutherland ,
Blach Dwarf, Bavard, Waltham Seedling . Pose and Pink
tinted : Feast of Boses, Madlle . Nilsson . Cerise : Tristram
Shandy, Lion Heart, Lucius. Lilac and Purplish Pose : Lilac
Banner, Amy Hogg, Duchess, Lilac Rival.

Single White Zonals. — All the white-flowering varieties
should be grown in a poor soil, and if the scheme of colour¬
ing will allow of it, a partially shaded spot will suit them
better than to be exposed to the full blaze of the meridian
sun. When grown in a poor soil, and enjoying morning and
afternoon,* but not mid-day sun, the flowers are more pure
and more plentiful than in the case of rich soil and full
exposure. In the case of the beds selected for white geraniums
being too strong in texture and condition, plunge them in
their pots, and, if possible, get up a reserve stock of plants
to take their place if they should happen to become flower¬
less after July. The best are White Wonder , and White
Princess.

Double Zonals are not well adapted for bedding. Those
who are disposed to try them are advised to plant in a poor
soil. The best for the purpose are Gloire de Nancy, rosy
carmine ; Le Vesuve , scarlet ; Princess Tech, deep scarlet ;
King of the Doubles, bright cerise.

Golden Zonals. — These are the so-called “ Golden Tri¬
colors.’ ’ They require a rich light soil, such as fuchsias
would grow luxuriantly in, and should be planted out last
among the zonals. It is too much the custom to spoil these
plants by coddling them. The whole of the bedding stock
should be planted out, and the whole of the cuttings should
be struck in open borders. As, however, they are slow in
making roots, it is best to begin with these in June, and to
keep them slightly shaded, and regularly sprinkled, until they
have made roots. Some curious reader may ask, “ How shall
I know when they have made roots ? ” Easily enough.
Instantly upon cuttings putting out roots they begin to grow,
and when new growth begins, the plants may be, compara¬
tively speaking, neglected for awhile. As it is often a matter

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

of some importance to multiply these plants by every pos¬
sible means, it is necessary that the reader be initiated into
three great mysteries. Cuttings may be struck all the year
round under glass. For this purpose, make up a bed in a
greenhouse, the materials of the bed to be equal parts of
sharp river- sand, and cocoanut-fibre refuse. In this mixture
the smallest bits of stem, providing they have each a good
healthy leaf, will soon make roots. From March to October
no heat will be needed, but in the remaining four months the
beds must be heated. Therefore it is well to make a bed for
winter work in a proper propagating house, or on the top of
a tank connected with the “ flow ” of the hot- water pipes.
This brings us to mystery the second. It is quite a common
thing for cuttings of tricolors to “ damp off” in winter ; in
other words, to rot away instead of making roots. To pre¬
vent this, proceed as follows. Take two small pieces of stick,
say small worn-out wood tallies for example, tie one of them
across the cutting’, about the sixteenth of an inch above its
base, with a strip of bast or worsted. Tie the other length¬
wise to the cutting, so that it projects two inches beyond the
base, and overlies the crosspiece. Now, if the upright stick
is thrust into the earth until the base of the cutting just
touches the soil, the cutting will be held firmly in its position,
and in due time will throw out roots, which may be covered
with a sprinkling of the mixture the bed is made of. By this
mode of procedure an enormous number of soft shoots may
be struck during winter, and the losses by damping will be
“ next to nothing.” The third mystery may be disposed of
in a word. All the tricolors grow more rapidly when grafted
on the common zonals than when on their own roots. Graft
at any time from March to August, always keeping the
plants extra warm, and somewhat shaded for a month
afterwards. The best stocks are common seedlings. The
following are the best varieties for bedding : Victoria
Regina, Louisa Smith, Sophia Cusaclc , Macbeth , Beautiful
Star.

Silver Zonals are generally known as “ Silver Tricolors.’*
They should be grown in the poorest ground, and, if possible,
in raised beds. If grown in rich and rather damp soil, the
leaves grow to a large size, are much wrinkled, and the dark
zone is so fully produced as to spoil the effect of the variega¬
tion. In all other respects treat as advised for the Golden

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Zonals. The best for bedding are Imperatrice Eugenie , Queen
of Hearts, Italia TJnita.

Bronze Zonals are, for the most part, vigorous growers,
and a few of them are attractive as bedders. Many that are
extremely fine in pots become either too green or too brown
when planted out, and, therefore, it is important to select them
with judgment. The best are J Donnie's Princess of Wales ,
Imperatrice Eugenie , Countess of Kellie , Waltham Bride , Mul¬
berry Zone , Egyptian Queen , JDulce of Edinburgh , Mrs . Lewis
Lloyd .

Golden Selfs. — These are the most valuable of all the va¬
rieties for bedding where a distinct yellow or sulphur-green is
required, as they present, in the mass, only one tone of colour,
wrhereas the golden and silver zonals (tricolors), and the
bronze zonals (bicolors), tend more or less to produce a mixed
effect, wanting in unity and decisiveness. It must be admitted
that a good bed of either of the classes just named is most
beautiful when we stand near it and look down upon its rich
mosaic of colours ; but for a more distant view and for a dis¬
tinct chromatic effect the golden seifs are unsurpassed, and
are especially valuable for leaf embroidery, if the trusses are
constantly pinched out before the flowers open. In this
section the following are splendid bedding plants : Meridian
Sun , Golden Glory , Crimson Banner (this has lovely magem a
coloured flowers, and makes a remarkably rich bed if it can
be allowed to flower), Jason , Golden Fleece , Little Golden
Christine . The last is a miniature plant suitable for edgings.

Golden Edged. — These have a more distinct green disk
than the golden seifs, in which the disk is so inconspicuous
that we regard it as non-existent. The two classes might,
indeed, be fused into one, because it is impossible to draw a
sharp line between them ; but the division is convenient, and
is founded on degrees. The best in this class is a very fine
old variety, which many cultivators condemn because they
cannot grow it. But those who can manage it know it to be
invaluable. Perhaps the mention of Golden Chain may carry
many a reader back to pleasant remembrances of scenes and
circumstances in days gone by, when the bedding system was
in its infancy, and the hand that now holds the book was
firmer in its grasp and readier for action in outdoor industry
than now. But gushing is not allowable in a work of this
■sort, and so we quit the “ pleasures of memory to remark

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

that Golden Cham, in common with many other slow-growing
varieties, should be taken care of, to secure a good stock of
old plants , for this variety cannot be considered quite suitable
for bedding until the plants are three years old. It is but
proper to add, however, that vigorous growers like Meridian
Sun and Golden Banner are remarkably effective in their first
season, but, nevertheless, the enthusiast in parterre colouring
will never regret the exercise of patient care in the proper
treatment of this fine old favourite of the garden. Add to the
stock of golden-edged geraniums, Crystal Palace Gem , which
is almost a self, Gold Circle , Creed's Seedling , and Yelloiv Gem.

Silver Edged. — -In this class we place all the white and
creamy- toned “variegated geraniums.” They are rather
delicate in constitution, and old plants are to be valued, es¬
pecially if judiciously cut down to keep them dwarf and
bushy. The best of the whitest are Floiver of Spring , Silver
Chain , Queen of Queens , Bijou , Snowdrop , and Avalanche.
The last-named has white flowers, and, therefore, the flowers
need not be removed. The best of the creamy-edged are
Daybreak , Oriancc , and Flower of the Day.

Green Ivy-leaved geraniums are useful for edgings and for
baskets. The best are Bridal Wreath , Gem of the Season , and
Willsi rosea.

Golden Edged Ivy-leaved geraniums make lovely edgings
where they can be employed with advantage. The common
Golden Ivy-leaved or Aurea variegata , which is its grand name,
is quite a gem in its way. The other varieties of this section
are all second-rate.

Silver Edged . — The best of these are L' Elegante and Silver
Gem.

Hybrid Geraniums , in poor soil, may be planted out ; but
where the soil is strong it is best to plunge them in pots, and
have a reserve of plants to take their places in case they fail
before the season is over. As for the reserve plants, the way
to insure having them in bloom when they are likely to be
wanted is to cut them back in May, shift them early in June,
at the end of June pinch out the tops and all the trusses,
and then let them push their trusses to be ready for service
in the parterre. The White Unique , Crimson Unique , and
Purple Unique are splendid plants. Bridal Bing , Britannia ,
and Ignescens superb a are, in their way, extremely useful.

Pentstemon. — For large isolated beds the garden varieties

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

are grand furniture for autumn display. A rich deep soil is
requisite, with full exposure to the sun. The best way to
manage the stock is to strike a sufficiency of cuttings in
frames about the end of August or early in September, and
keep them rather dry through the winter, to plant out in
April. Treat the same as calceolarias in fact, but strike the
cuttings earlier. The following are splendid bedding varie¬
ties : Agnes Laing, Arthur Ale Hardy , Miss Ilay , Mrs. S terry ,
Shirley Hibherd , Stanstead Surprise.

Petunia. — This old favourite is now but sparely planted in
the parterre, but it has certainly not been superseded, and in
the hot summers of 1868 and 1870, a few of the varieties were
remarkably showy, and held their own bravely to the very
end of the season. For hot dry soils and in hot dry seasons
the petunia is invaluable. In rich soils and in moist seasons
it does not flower freely, and it grows too rank and green to
be valued as a bedder. It is an easily-managed plant, pro¬
vided the stock is wintered with care in a dry airy house*
always safe from frost, and with no more water than just
suffices to keep it green until spring returns. The usual plan
of multiplying is by cuttings, and the best time to strike them
is in the latter part of March and early in April. They may
be struck as late as May, and will, with proper care, make
good plants to begin flowering in July. The best amongst a
thousand for bedding is Spitfire , a brilliant purple flower.
Shrubland Bose , Crimson Bedder , Purple Bedder , and Magnum
Bonum , afford a sufficient selection of single varieties for all
ordinary purposes. The double petunias make fine pot plants,
but are of quite secondary importance as bedders. The best
of them for outdoor display are Miss Bari , rose, with white
centre, and Princess , dark crimson. A few of the most useful
bedding varieties reproduce themselves very faithfully from
seed, if due care is exercised in saving it. The two varieties
that can be depended upon most in this respect are Countess
of Ellesmere , rose, with a light centre, and Prince Albert , deep
purplish crimson. A bed of striped varieties or of mixed
sorts, such as white, purple, and rose, has a very charming
appearance, but of course they are not suitable for a bed that
occupies a distinctive position in a geometric scheme. Petu¬
nias should be grown in rather poor soil, as they grow too
luxuriantly and become coarse in soil enriched with manure.
It is also essential to edge the beds with some strong-growing

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

subject, sucb as Centaur ea ragusina , or, what is better still,
strong two-year-old plants of variegated pelargonium Bijou or
other erect-growing variegated varieties. A solid edging, as
here suggested, will keep the growth of the petunia in its
place, and the beds will have a neat appearance, if the young
growth is not allowed to ramble through the edging.

Perilla. — Though the popularity of this plant has greatly
declined within the past few years, it cannot be dispensed
with, for its solemn bronzy-purple colour gives it a most dis¬
tinctive character, of great value to the colourist. It has been
well abused for its “ funereal ” aspect, and greatly misused by
planters, who, in common with its detractors, wTere ignorant
of its capabilities and proper place in the disposition of colours.
The plants are always raised from seed in the first instance,
but the tops may be taken off in June and July, and struck
in about ten days in a frame, if a further supply is required
for planting in the autumn. The middle of March is early
enough to sow the seed, and a very mild heat suffices for its
germination. As a rule, the seed is sown too early, and the
plants, during the early stages, grown in too much heat.
Stocky plants, three inches high at planting time, are de¬
cidedly preferable to gawky things eight to ten inches high
with a few leaves at the top only. Of course, when required
for a back row, it is necessary to have them rather tall, but
they should be managed so as to insure being furnished with
foliage to the surface of the soil. Perillas transplant so well
that it is not necessary to put them in pots, and very satis¬
factory results may be obtained by pricking off from the seed-
pan into a bed of soil made up in a cold frame. There are
several varieties, but P. Nankinensis is the best.

Phlox. — The large-flowering phloxes are not adapted
for the parterre, but the varieties of P. Brummondi are in¬
valuable for their continuous bloom and brilliant colours. It
is usually supposed that a bed of phloxes must be mixed, but
that is a mistake, for the named varieties come sufficiently
true from seed, and a few of them deserve to be regarded as
amongst the best bedding plants in cultivation. It is quite
a waste of labour to plant them in a hungry soil, or to allow
them to perfect seeds, for in either case they will present a
shabby appearance long before the summer is past. The soil
in which they are put when removed from the seed-pans
should be moderately rich, to insure a healthy growth during

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

the time they are in pots. The most distinct and valuable
varieties are Alba, pure white; Atrococcinea , deep scarlet;
Ueynholdi , a magnificent scarlet-flowered variety ; Leopoldi ,
pink and white ; Queen Victoria , dark rosy purple. A bed of
mixed sorts has a fine appearance, but seed of each of the
above should be procured, and the plants arranged according
to their colours when planted. The seedlings must be
potted off immediately they are strong enough, because it
ruins them to be allowed to remain crowded together in the
seed-pots after they are an inch or so in height. Sow in a
gentle heat in the latter part of March or early in April.

Portulacca. — For dry and hot positions these are most
useful. They are very singular in appearance, and the flowers
are remarkably showy. The soil in which they are planted
should be light and sandy. The most effective for bedding
purposes are P. alba , white ; P. cary o p hy lloides, white and
rose ; P. coccinea , scarlet ; P. splenclens , crimson ; P. Thov-
burni , yellow. Sow in pans of sandy soil in April, and instead
of putting the seed-pans in heat, place them on a sunny shelf
in the greenhouse, and lay a slate over until the little plants
appear. Pot them off early and keep them in a dry sunny
position until they are put out in the flower garden. A few
groups planted upon a rockery having a sunny aspect would
produce a startling effect.

Pyrethrum. — The great usefulness of the Golden Feather
is too well known to require a single word of praise, and very
few words will suffice respecting its management. As a rule,
amateur gardeners sow much too early, and place the seed-
pans in a strong heat. The end of March is quite early
enough to sow, and the temperature of a cold frame will be
quite sufficient. Seed may be sown in the beds about the
beginning of April, but it is more advantageous to sow in a
frame and transplant. The frame should, of course, be well
ventilated after the seed has vegetated. Sow thinly in drills,
and then the whole stock can be transferred direct from the
seed-bed to the flower garden. As a matter of course it must
not be allowed to flower in the parterre, but for the purpose
of saving seed a few plants may be put out in some odd
sunny corner or in the kitchen garden.

TROPiEOLUM. — It may be said with safety that the value
of the tropmolum for flower garden decoration has been over¬
rated, and also that, although a very large number of new

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

varieties liave "been sent out within the last three or four
years, very little real improvement has been effected. Two-
thirds, at least, of the newest varieties are worthless. The
varieties of Tom Thumb are of no real value in the parterre,
as they seldom, if ever, bloom continuously throughout the
season. They make a brilliant display for a short time and
then go out of bloom, and remain an eyesore for the remaining
part of the season, unless pulled up and consigned to the
rubbish-heap. A few clumps placed in a mixed border,
where they can be pulled up as soon as they begin to present
a shabby appearance, are very well, but they should not be
planted extensively. The only recommendation they have
consists in the fact that they reproduce themselves freely
from seed, and the only trouble occasioned by raising a stock
consists in sowing the seed where the plants are to remain
and flower. The well-known T. Lobbmnum and its varieties
should be planted in poor soil, in the most sunny position, to
insure an abundant bloom. In the event of the soil proving
too strong, the plants acquire a coarse leafy character, which
it is impossible to correct in a satisfactory manner, thougfr
frequent removal of the leaves, -where they are crowded, will
reduce the luxuriant habit of the plants and promote a more
free production of flowers. The soil, however, should be
deeply dug to encourage the plants to send their roots abroad,
and enable them to hold their own against a drought. It is
also important to put out strong plants that are well hardened
off, for when they are not more than half hardened previous
to planting, they generally receive so very much injury from
the sun and wind that the summer season is far advanced
before they become well established. The stock of all the
bedders should be renewed by cuttings, for seedling plants
cannot be depended upon, as all vary more or less, either in
the colour of the flowers or the character of the growth. The
best of the scarlet-flowered varieties are Beauty of Malvern
and Star of Fire. Both are neat and compact in growth, and
bloom most profusely throughout the season, and, unlike the
Tom Thumb varieties, they do not produce much seed. Ad¬
vancer has also scarlet flowers and is very desirable, and in
some soils may, perhaps, equal in effectiveness both the fore¬
going. Of the varieties producing flowers other than of a
scarlet hue, Luteum Improved , rich orange-yellow spotted with
crimson, and The Moor , deep crimson-maroon, are the best.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Though, the Tom Thumb section, which are improved va¬
rieties of the a dwarf nasturtium” of days gone by — the
Tropceolum minus of botanists — have been referred to above as
u of no real value in the flower garden,” we must bestow a few
words upon them, because they still retain a shadow of the
favour with which they were regarded in the early days of the
bedding system. With all their faults they are extravagantly
showy while they last, and may be employed to advantage in
beds that are to be managed on the “ chameleon ” principle,
the object of which is to present in one and the same spot a
succession of masses of colour throughout the season. It is
a good plan to put them rather far apart in the beds, and
plant some of the tall- growing asters between them. The
asters will not produce such fine flowers as when planted in a
bed by themselves, but they will flower freely and take the
place of the Nasturtiums as soon as they begin to present a
shabby appearance. To prolong the flowering season as long
as possible, the seeds, before attaining half their usual size,
should be picked off, because the plants will certainly not
flower freely if they have to perfect a crop of seeds. The
seeds will pay for the cost of gathering, as they make a most
acceptable pickle when gathered green. The best varieties are
Scarlet King of Tom Thumbs and Golden King of Tom Thumbs .
The seed should not be sown until the end of March, or the
plants will be too forward. The simplest and best way of
dealing with them is to sow four or five seeds in five-inch
pots, and then thin the plants down to two or three to each.

Verbena. — There is not in all the catalogue of bedding
plants one that more perfectly answers to the requirements
of the garden colourist than this. Its trailing habit, forming
a close carpet of vegetation, its well-sustained umbels of
brilliantly-coloured flowers glittering above the suitable
groundwork of dark green leaves ; and the continuousness
of its intensity of colour, are qualities that will insure it a
place in the select list of first class parterre plants. And yet
the verbena has been steadily declining in popularity during
many years past, in consequence of frequent failures, and the
consequent disfigurement of the gardens where it has proved
unequal to the demands and expectations of the cultivator.
It must be confessed that in exceptionally hot, dry seasons
like those of 1868 and 1870, verbenas unhappily situated,
shrink away to dust ere the season is half gone. It must be

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

confessed, also, that a large proportion of the newest varieties
have been recommended for bedding, and have been tried
and found wanting, to the injury of the fair fame the verbena
should enjoy, and the actual discouragement of those who
are labouring to improve it. Having made these admissions,
it remains to be said that, as a rule, failures with the verbena
result from bad cultivation, and especially of the careless
system of planting bedders in badly-prepared soil, without,
in any case, any special preparation for any of them.

It is only in a good deep holding loam that the verbena
will grow in a satisfactory manner ; but a light soil will suit
the plant, provided a liberal dressing of manure is dug in
during winter, and a fair average season follows, with alter¬
nations of showers and sunshine, for with the best prepara¬
tion, a failure may be expected in a peculiarly hot and dry
season on light sandy soils. As we do not often experience
the delights and trials of a tropical summer, those who
appreciate this plant may reasonably reckon on success in
cultivating it, even though they may have a lighter soil to deal
with than the plant would prefer, provided they adopt a
liberal system of cultivation. In the case of a hot soil, a
mulch — that is, a surfacing of half-rotten manure put on at
the time of planting — will do wonders, and as to its appear¬
ance, the plants will so soon spread over and hide it, that it
is practically of no consequence. In a droughty summer, a
few heavy soakings with soft water will also act beneficially ;
but it is best to avoid watering if there is a prospect of rain
before the plants begin to suffer, and, in any case, frequent
surface dribblingsdo more harm than good. It is not a matter
of great importance to plant verbenas in the full sun, but a
heavily shaded position will not suit them. A free current of
air, and a few hours of sunshine per diem they must have,
but they cannot so well endure continuous roasting as gera¬
niums and petunias, which really rejoice in sunshine. A very
common cause of failure is the practice of putting out plants
that have been starving in small pots several months previous
to the planting seasons. It is a grievous mistake to propa¬
gate the stock for bedding early in the season, although it is
generally supposed that early propagation is necessary to
secure strong healthy plants by planting-time. When struck
early, and necessarily kept starving in pots for several months,
the constitution becomes impaired so much that they are un-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

able to resist, with any degree of success, the attacks of red
spider, thrips, and mildew — three most formidable enemies
they have to contend with. The month of April is quite
early enough for striking verbenas intended for bedding pur¬
poses. The tops of the healthy shoots should be taken off in
the early part of the month, struck in a brisk bottom-heat,
and potted into store pots, and carefully hardened off ; these
planted out as early in May as the weather will permit, will
grow away freely, and the beds in which they are planted will
soon become a blaze of colour. The compost in which they
are potted should be rich and nourishing, and for that reason
nothing suits them better than a mixture of good turfy loam
and decayed hotbed manure, mixed together, at the rate ot
two parts of the former to one of the latter, and a sprinkling
of sand added to keep the compost open.

In a collection of over a hundred kinds grown in our
experimental garden in the burning summer of 1870, the
following were the best : — -Annie, a free-flowering variety,
prettily striped. Ariosto Improved , rich puce or plum-colour.
Blue Bing, light blue, distinct and pleasing. Crimson King ,
fiery orange-scarlet with small lemon eye ; the best scarlet-
flowered verbena we have for bedding purposes. Firefly, fine
brilliant scarlet, very showy. Grand JBoule de Neige, pure
white, very large. Iona, rich crimson, very dwarf. Isa Eclc-
ford , rich puce. King Charming, clear salmon rose, distinct
and showy. Lady Folkestone , deep rosy purple. Madame
lefebvre, bright reddish crimson. Mrs. Eckford, white with
rose centre. Mrs. Peynolds Hole , white with crimson centre.
Mrs. Bennington, rich reddish rose. Murillo, shaded peach ;
contrasts well with the crimson, puce, and other dark colours.
Otago , brilliant rosy crimson, worthy of a place in the most
select collections. Parsee , bright purple flushed with mauve.
Polly Perkins , bright rosy red. Purple King , an old but
most valuable variety. Peine des Poses, deep rosy pink.
Storm King, rich rosy crimson. Victory, brilliant scarlet,
strong in growth.

Viola. — A few pretty violas have been turned to account
as bedding plants, and have, in this capacity, acquired far
more fame than they deserve. For flowering in spring and
early summer they are invaluable, but for summer and autumn
comparatively useless. The named varieties should be grown
from cuttings in the same way as recommended for pansies.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

When raised from seed, sown in March or April, a better
autumn bloom may be expected, than from plants raised from
cuttings. The varieties of V. cornuta have blue flowers.
Perfection is the best of them. V. lutea is a good yellow-
flowered species, well adapted for a display in spring.

A SELECTION OF PLANTS SUITABLE FOR EDGING FLOWER BEDS.

Silvert-leaved. — Achyrocline Saundersoni , 6 to 8 in., neat
and upright. Arahis albida vciriegata , forms a close tuft of
creamy-leaved herbage ; hardy. Achillea umbellata , 4 in.,
bushy and neat. Antennaria tomentosci , 1 in., spreading;
hardy. Centaurea ragusinct conipacta , 6 in., bushy; nearly
hardy. Cerastium tomentosum , 8 in., spreading ; hardy ; re¬
quires clipping into shape two or three times during the
season. Cineraria acanthifolia , G to 12 in., upright, bushy,
large beds; C. ccsplenifolia , 9 to 12 in., bushy, large beds;
C. maritima , 9 to 15 in., bushy, large beds : all from seed or
cuttings. Dactylis glomerata elegantissima , 9 in., bushy ;
hardy. F 'cheveria glauco-metallica , 4 in., neat, fine for sloping
sides ; E. secunda glauca , 2 in., sloping sides of large or
small beds, very neat. Gnaphalium tomentosum , 6 to 18 in.,
branching ; requires clipping into shape ; G. lancttum , 9 to
15 in., straggling in growth, and requires to be clipped fre¬
quently. Euonymus raclicans variegatus , 6 to 12 in., can be
clipped into shape ; medium-sized or large beds. Polemonium
ccerideum variegatum , G in., very compact ; light soil. Senecio
cirgenteus , 3 to 5 in., neat bushy rosettes ; hardy and very
valuable. Stachys lanata , 6 in., coarse in growth, and in¬
creases fast ; should be taken up and divided every year.
Veronica mcana, neat and compact ; large or small beds ;
requires dividing ; hardy and very valuable.

Golden-leaved. — Arahis lucida , 4 in., neat ; sandy soil ;
increased readily by division. Aucuba-leaved Daisy , 3 in. ;
beautiful during winter and spring. Euonymus Jlavescens , G
to 18 in., rich chrome yellow ; hardy. Fuchsia Golden Fleece ,
G to 8 in., bushy and compact. Golden Feather , 3 to 6 in.,
bushy and compact ; should be raised from seed. Lonicera
ciurea reticulata , 9 to 15 in , fine for large beds ; must be
pegged down. Mesembryantliemum cordifolium variegatum , 3
in., spreading ; beds and borders in hot situations. Thymus
citriodorus aureus , 3 in., spreading, but compact ; hardy.

CHAPTER VI.

HARDY BORDER FLOWERS.

The hardy herbaceous border is the best feature of the flowe
garden, though commonly regarded as the worst. When well
made, well stocked, and well managed, it presents us with
flowers in abundance during ten months out of twelve, and
in the remaining two blank months offers some actual enter¬
tainment, and many agreeable hints of pleasures to come, to
make an ample reward for the comparatively small amount of
labour its proper keeping will necessitate. Given a few trees
and shrubs, a plot of grass, and comfortable walks, the three
first essentials of a garden, and a collection of hardy herba¬
ceous plants is the fourth essential feature, and may be the
last ; for the bedding system may very well be dispensed with
in a homely place, provided the hardy flowers are admitted,
and cared for, according to their merits. It may be that
many a reader of this will be disposed to question whether
geraniums should be swept away to make room for lilies, and
verbenas denied a place because of the superior claims of
phloxes, but such a question we do not propose — our business
is to point out that the bedding system is an embellishment
added to the garden : the herbaceous border is a necessary
fundamental feature. Therefore we ask for the establishment
of a collection of herbaceous plants before preparations are
made for a display of bedding, and our advice to those who
love their gardens and walk much in them, and find amuse¬
ment in watching the growth of plants, and in contrasting
their various characters and attractions, is, that they should
seek to develop the herbaceous department, and so become
acquainted with its full capabilities. In this pursuit enthu-
riasm may be manifested without incurring the reproach of
season, for it is a truly intellectual pastime, and demands the
practice of patience, and the exercise of thought in no small

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

measure from those who would know more of it than appears
upon the surface. Let us for a moment consider the claims
of the herbaceous border to better regard than is usually
bestowed upon it.

It is an important characteristic of the herbaceous border
that its proper tenants are hardy plants that need no aid of
glass or fuel for their preservation during the winter. Those
who can be content with hardy plants alone may find it an
agreeable and easy task to devote their glass-houses to the
production of grapes, mushrooms, forced kidney beans, and
other equally valuable delicacies, and supplement the hardy
garden with a collection of Alpine flowers, a large number of
wdaich can be better grown and more thoroughly enjoyed in
an airy and unheated greenhouse than when planted on the
rockery in the open air. The delights of spring may thus be
antedated by the aid of glass, and suitable early-flowering
Alpine plants and the open borders will present an abundance
of flowers, from the time when the treacherous frosts have
spent their spite upon vegetation until the chill of winter
returns again. In the cultivation of bedding plants we may
fairly reckon on a brilliant display for three months, and it
may extend to four — say, from the 1st of June to the 30th of
September, but the herbaceous border will be gay from the
end of April to the middle of October, a period of six months,
and will offer us a few flowers in February, and a few in No¬
vember and December, and in a mild winter will not be utterly
flowerless even in January. It would be an exaggeration
to say that the herbaceous border is capable of a display of
flowers all the year round, but it is very nearly capable of a
consummation So devoutly to be wished. To the advantages
of hardiness and continuity of bloom must be added a third
and grand qualification, of a distinguishing kind — that of
variety. It is scarcely an exaggeration to say that the
varieties of form, colour, and general character, amongst
hardy herbaceous plants is without limit ; but, as variety may
be obtained amongst ugly plants, we are bound to add that
the proper occupants of the garden we are considering are all
beautiful, and a considerable proportion are well known
favourites. Nevertheless, it must be admitted that with all
their good claims to loving regard, the hardy herbaceous
plants obtain but scant attention, and tens of thousands of
persons who know that verbenas are somewhat showy when

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

in flower, and would like to grow thousands of them, are
prepared any day to ignore the whole tribe of herbaceous
plants as weedy things that have had their day, and, with the
exception of a lily or two, and, perhaps, a hollyhock, deserv¬
ing of a place only in the unsavoury hole where grass-mowings
and the sweepings of the poultry-house are deposited with a
view to a “ mixen.” It ought to be needless to attempt this
vindication, but we feel bound in duty to the reader to urge
that every rational development of the hardy garden will
prove advantageous to the lover of flowers, as tending both to
lessen the expense and labour which the keeping of the garden
necessitates, and considerably augment the pleasures that it is
capable of affording as the seasons change and the year goes
round.

As hardy herbaceous plants of some kind or other will
grow in any soil and any aspect, not one single square
foot of ground in any garden need be utterly barren.
A tuft of Solomon’s seal in a dark spot where the soil
is quite unfit for better plants, may be better than nothing.
Sunny, shady, hot, cold, dry, moist, or even wet positions,
have their several capabilities for hardy plants, and we
have but to make our selections prudently to insure a
plentiful clothing of herbage and flowers for every scene.
But a herbaceous border designed for a good collection of
plants should consist of good deep loamy soil ; the greater
part of it should be fully exposed to the sunshine and the
breezes, but it is well to have some extent of ground partially
or considerably shaded, to provide the greatest possible variety
of conditions for the greatest possible variety of the forms of
vegetation. In preparing a border, in the first instance the
ground should be well dug two spits deep and at the same
time liberally manured. In the case of an old border requir¬
ing a repair, it may be well to lift all the plants and “ lay
them in ” safely while the border is trenched and manured ;
or it may suffice to leave the good plants undisturbed and
provide sites for additional planting by opening holes and
digging in plenty of manure. In any case we would earnestly
advise that herbaceous plants should be thoroughly well cul¬
tivated, even if, to do full justice to them, the bedding display
has to be contracted or abolished. The majority of the best
herbaceous plants — the hollyhocks, phloxes, lilies, tritomas*
delphiniums, pinks, chrysanthemums, primulas, pyrethrums.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. £7

potentillas, anemones, ranunculuses, irises, cenotheras, fox¬
gloves, campanulas — require a deep, rich, well-drained loam,
but will grow well in clay that has been generously pre«
pared, and need not be despaired of altogether where the
soil is shallow and sandy, provided there are appliances avail¬
able in the shape of manure, mulchings, and waterings, to
sustain them through the hottest days of summer. It must not
be forgotten, too, that if the herbaceous border is formed on a
somewhat good soil — say a soil that will grow a cabbage — and
in a position open to the sun and the health-giving breezes, it
may be enriched by the addition of roses, stocks, asters,
zinnias, balsams, dahlias, and many more good things, that
“ need only to be seen to be appreciated.”

In the management of the herbaceous border details are
everything, and principles next to nothing. The best time to
plant is in August and September, but planting may be safely-
done in March and April, and with but little risk on any day
throughout the year, provided the plants at the time of plant¬
ing are in a proper state for planting. For example, a holly¬
hock may have a spike of magnificent flowers six feet high in
the first week of September, and no sane gardener would then
propose to transplant it ; but the white lily, only a yard or so
distant from it, may be just then in a dormant state, and, if
to be transplanted at all, in a condition most desirable for
the process. A great tuft of Arabis might be lifted any day
from October to February, if lifted quickly and replanted
with care, and in the ensuing month of April would bloom as
well as if left undisturbed ; but any sensible person who had
struck a lot of arabis cuttings in pots in autumn would take
care not to plant them until May, because little weak scraps
of plants would probably perish if planted in the dark, short,
cold days of the year ! Leaving a fair margin for exceptions,
it may be said with truth that herbaceous plants may be planted
at any time, but we must return to the primary presumption,
and repeat that the best time is in August or September, but
if the chill November days occur before the work can be done,
it is better to wait until spring, and then if possible choose a
time when the wind is going round to the west and the
barometer is falling. Haply, when your work is completed,
soft showers will fall to help your plants make new roots
quickly, to hold their own through the summer heat.

It cannot be wrong to repeat that the amateur need not

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Ibe troubled about principles, but must consider tlie manage¬
ment of the herbaceous garden a matter of detail. As to
watering, never give a drop if you can help it ; but if it must
be given, give plenty. Plants that have a deep well-manured
bed to root in will rarely need water ; but in some hot dry
places watering is a necessary part of the routine management
of a garden, and the herbaceous plants will be as thankful
as any for whatever help the water-pot can give them. Some
plants require stakes and some do not. Those that need
support against wind should have it in time, for the storm
may come and blow down half your garden wealth on the
very day you have begun to talk of staking the dahlias and
hollyhocks “ to-morrow.” We are no advocates of scanty
planting ; we rather prefer a crowded garden, but must con¬
tend always for a sufficiency of the comforts of life for all
kinds of plants. The subjects we have before us require a
deep nourishing soil, and plenty of light and air, which over¬
crowding will simply prevent them having ; but a meagrely-
planted border has as miserable an appearance as a great dinner
table with only half a red herring on it. Always plant enough
to make a good effect at once, and in a year or two afterwards
thin out and transplant, or give away, or sell ; don’t waste
years in the expectation that you may obtain from half-a-
dozcn plants enough stock to cover an acre, because it is not
well to make a nursery of a garden, and a good stock of all
the best things that can be obtained will afford far more
gratification than any quantity of some half-dozen sorts that
you may any day buy at about a fifth, or, perhaps, a tenth, of
what you must expend to produce them. Herbaceous plants
are, for the most part, easily multiplied, and, generally speak¬
ing, may be increased by the very simple process of division ;
but it is better to plant a small plot of ground in such a way as
to insure a good effect at once than to lay out a great extent
of border space with the intention of filling it “ some day ”
with home-grown stock. To enjoy herbaceous plants they
should be left undisturbed for years, to form great masses or
“ stools,” as they are called, for it is only when thoroughly
established that many of the best of them present their flowers
profusely and show all their characters in full perfection. It
is a strange thing that people who are always ready to ex¬
pend money in the most liberal manner on bedding plants
become ludicrously niggardly the instant they become con-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

vinced of a glimmering of faith in herbaceous plants. An
instance of this has amused us lately. When inspecting a
stock of hepaticas in. flower in Ware’s great nursery at Tot¬
tenham, we met a customer who was enraptured with them.
Having, in company with some half-dozen persons, enjoyed
the brilliant display of colour produced by some three or four
thousand plants in a mass, this admirer ordered one plant ,
which, being drawn out at once, was found to consist of a
tuft as large as a duck’s egg, with two flowers expanded, and
three or four leaves on the way. The attendant naively sug¬
gested that people should buy these things in the same way
that they buy bedding plants — by the dozen, the score, the
hundred.

The best way is not everybody’s way. The furnishing of
an extensive border by the purchase of sufficient of the very
best herbaceous plants, will prove a more expensive business
than every reader of this book may be prepared for. It
follows that something should be said on the raising of plants
by cheap and simple methods of procedure. Many good
plants produce seed abundantly, and the careful cultivator
may by this means increase the stock to any extent that may
be desired. The best seed is that saved at home, and the
best way to deal with it is to sow it, as soon as it is ripe, in
large shallow pans and boxes, and keep these in cool frames
until the plants appear. Some kinds of seeds remain a whole
year in the soil before they germinate, and therefore it is only
the patient who are well rewarded. As amateurs are apt to
lose seeds that they would fain save, we shall present our
readers with a rule of action that we have followed many
years in saving seeds of all kinds that are likely to scatter as
they ripen. Provide a lot of common bell-glasses, of various
sizes, and place them mouth upwards on a bench in a sunny
greenhouse. When a cluster of seeds is full grown and just
beginning to ripen, cut it and throw it into one of the bell-
glasses, with a label inscribed with its name. The ripening
process will soon be completed, and the seed will shell itself
out from the pods, and be found ready cleaned and fit for
storing away with the least imaginable amount of trouble.

We have saved all kinds of seeds in this wa y, and may say
with truth that the scheme has been worth hundreds of pounds
to us. The ingenious practitioner will soon discover how to
modify the plan advantageously. Thus, flower-pots, with the

100

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

holes stopped with corks or sheets of paper, may he used in
place of bell-glasses ; but the best way will pay the best,
especially in the case of amateurs who grow “good things,”
and prize the seeds of choice subjects like gold-dust. We
shall have to treat on seed-sowing and the management of
seedling plants at length in a subsequent chapter, and there¬
fore, to avoid waste of space by repetition, shall say no more
upon the subject here. As to the value of seed-saving and
seed-sowing, however, we are bound to repeat that in the case of
herbaceous plants, the matter is not of the highest importance.
How absurd, for example, it would be for any one to save and
sow seed of the common white arabis, when, by the simple
process of division in autumn, the plants can be multiplied
ad infinitum ! What a waste of time to wait and watch for
seeds of the white lily, which only needs to be taken up and
parted in August or September to fill the whole garden, no
matter how large, in the course of a few years. It is worthy
of remark, too, that, as a rule, the plants which produce abun¬
dance of seed are those that we prize the least ; the free-
seeding sorts being of secondary value as regards interest and
beauty.

The multiplication of herbaceous plants by cuttings and
divisions, when either of these methods can be practised, is far
preferable to raising them from seed. The cuttings should
consist of new shoots of the season, nearly fall grown and just
about to harden. Old and wiry shoots are of no use ; very
soft, sappy shoots are no use. Large cuttings, whether from
old or young shoots, are no use. The mild heat of a half-spent
hotbed is to be preferred to the strong heat in which
bedding plants are struck in spring ; but hardy herbaceous
plants may be propagated in a strong heat, or a mild heat, or
without heat, and the last mode is the best, generally speaking.
In the case of a scarce and valuable plant, we must sometimes
adopt extreme measures to save its life or to increase it
rapidly ; but the best plants will be obtained from the well-
managed cold-frame, and not from the hothouse.

In multiplying by division, a time should be chosen when
the plant is in what we may call a dividable state ; but, in
truth, it may be done at any season if the operator is some¬
what experienced, and can coax an insulted plant into a kindly
temper by good frame or greenhouse management. When
we meet with a scarce plant that we wish to possess, we

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

101

secure, if we can, a cutting or a rooted shoot, or “ a bit of it,”
somehow, and feel bound to make that “ bit ” a plant by some
means. Experience has taught us, in respeck of scarce and
valuable plants, the best time to secure seeds, roots, cuttings,
offsets, etc., etc., is, when you can get them , and we know
nothing of seasons whatever. But in case this defining should
perplex an amiable reader, we shall wind up this paragraph
by saying that dividable subjects, such as violets, pansies,
daisies, arabis, and primulas, should be taken up in August or
September, and be pulled to pieces and replanted immediately.
If the weather is showery, they will prosper without any par¬
ticular attention ; but if the weather is hot and dry, they must
be watered and shaded until the cool, damp season returns.
It is a good plan to have a plot of reserve ground in which to
plant out the young stock, and allow it to make one whole
season’s growth before transferring it to the borders.

Many disappointments occur through mixing tender and
hardy plants together in borders, and leaving them all to settle
accounts with the weather. They are very straightforward in
their mode of settlement. The hardy plants live and the
tender plants die, and those who have to pay for the losses
make long faces when summer returns and the favourites of
the past season are seen no more. In very severe winters,
and especially in gardens in valleys where the soil is heavy
and damp, many plants, reputed hardy, are sure to perish.
Losses are always objectionable ; but a certain number must
be borne with in every pursuit, and the herbaceous border
forms no exception to the general rule. But the fact suggests
that a systematic use of frames and other like protective
agencies, and a reserve of plants of kinds that are least likely
to suffer by severe weather, are precautions the wise will
adopt without any great pressure of persuasions.

To speak of our own case for a moment, we cannot keep
hollyhocks in the borders during winter, and therefore take
cuttings in time, and secure a good stock of young plants in
pots in autumn, to keep through the winter in frames for
planting out in the month of April ensuing. The amateur
must study these matters as essentials to the realization
of the true joy of a garden. Borders that are kept scru¬
pulously clean all the winter will be the most severely
thinned of plants in the event of extra severe weather.
There is no protective material so potent to resist frost as the

102

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

dead and dry leaves of trees, as the wind disposes them, for
they always gather about the crowns of herbaceous plants,
to help them through the winter.

After winter comes the spring, and then the gardener
will carefully dig the border, and chop up the roots of peonies,
and stamp down with his foot the pushing crowns of ane¬
mones, and by a most unavoidable accident chop up a few of
the phloxes. We never suffer the herbaceous border to be dug at
all, except to prepare it for planting in the first instance, or for
needful repairs afterwards. Periodical digging, “ as a matter
of course,” such as the jobbing gardeners designate “ turning
in,” has for its sole object the destruction of plants ; but
that object is disguised by describing the operation as
“ making things tidy.” When you are tired of herbaceous
plants, let the jobbing gardener keep the border tidy, and
you will soon soon be rid of the obnoxious lilies, phloxes,
ranunculuses, anemones, hollyhocks, pseonies, and pansies,
without the painful labour of pulling them up and burning
hem.

CHAPTER VIL

A SELECTION OP HARDY HERBACEOUS PLANTS.

It must be understood that in this selection we can have
nothing to do with curiosities, or with plants that are simply
“interesting” for some odd reason to somebody. We must
have beauty, or at the very least a somewhat showy character,
in every plant selected. There are, perhaps, fifty species and
varieties of lilies known to gardeners, but about half a dozen
are enough for any amateur who has not committed himself
to the idea of living on lilies and living for lilies at any sacri¬
fice to the end of his days. Better is it, we believe, to have
some fine clumps of such comparatively common plants as
the white lily, the orange lily, the golden-striped lily, and the
ivory-flowered lily (e.g.,Z. candid-urn , L.hulbiferum , L. auratum ,
and L. longiflorum ), than plant a lot of “ curious” lilies
that may cost a guinea a bulb to begin with, and be scarcely
worth a farthing a bulb for their beauty when in flower,
though some of the curiosities may require two or three years’
growing before they deign to reward their patient owner
with a hint of what they would be if they could. We
earnestly advise the lovers of hardy plants to grow good
things, and leave the bad things to the botanists. The her¬
baceous border must not be a refuge for weeds, labelled with
hard names long enough to reach from here to the moon, but
a comfortable home for beautiful flowers that need so little
care that it may be said of them that the delight of owning
them is not necessarily accompanied with the care of keeping
them. It is not intended to name all the good things in the
list that follows, but it is intended to include good things
only, and we offer it as comprising a selection of the most
beautiful herbaceous plants known to cultivation, comprising
chiefly such as readily adapt themselves to diverse conditions
of soil and climate.

104

tiie amateur’s flower garden.

Achillea (Milfoil). — A quite unimportant group of plants.
They will grow in any soil, and may be multiplied by division.
A. csgyptiaca is a pretty white foliage plant, occasionally em¬
ployed for edgings in the parterre. A. jilipendula is a fine
plant for the shrubbery, graceful in foliage, and with showy
yellow flowers. A . millefolium is the common milfoil, a most
valuable plant for lawns on dry hot soils, and for turfing
banks. The variety with rose-coloured flowers is an extremely
pretty shrubbery and cottage garden plant. The double flower¬
ing variety of A. ptarmica is a gem for the border, and a good
plant to grow in pots for the conservatory, and moreover it
forces well.

Aconitum (Monkshood). — A showy family of rustic plants,
of a most poisonous nature, which in any case should not
be planted without consideration of the possibility of their
proving dangerous. They are well adapted for large borders
and the skirts of shrubberies, where their stately forms and
handsome flowers show to great advantage. A deep, rich soil
suits them well, and they will bear partial shade. They are
propagated from seeds sown in spring, and division of their
flesby roots in autumn. The best are A. napellus , with blue
and white flowers ; A. Japonicum , violet blue ; and A. tauricumy
dark blue. The gigantic A . lycoctonum makes a striking object
in woodland scenery, but cannot be considered a border plant.

Adonis. — The best of this family is A . vernalis, an old
favourite, with finely-cut leaves, and large 3^ellow flowers, which
appear in March and April. A. apennina is the same in
character, but comes into flower immediately after vernalis.
A. pyrenaica flowers in June. These plants require a deep
moist rich soil. They may be increased by seeds sown in
March, or by division of the root at the same season.

Agapanthus (African Lily). — The well-known A. umbel*
latus is quite hardy, and is a first-rate border plant. It
requires a deep rich moist loam, and will thrive equally well
in sun and shade. Multiply by division of the roots in April
or in August. The white-flowered variety is as hardy as the
blue, but the variegated-leaved variety is scarcely hardy
enough for the border.

Agrostemma (Rose Campion). — The varieties of A. goto -
naria , of which there are at least three, are extremely sliowjq
and have the good quality of flowering freely all the summer
long. They will grow in any moderately good soil, and

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

105

prefer a damp or boggy situation, but must have a full ex¬
posure to the sun. Multiply by division and by cuttings.

Allium (Onion). — Several species of garlic and onion are
worthy of a place in the best border, for they are most elegant
when in flower. Any soil will suit them, and they bear partial
shade without injury. They generally increase rapidly with¬
out attention by scattering their seeds when ripe ; and there¬
fore, if young plants are required, leave the soil undisturbed
around the old ones. The best are A. album , A, moly , A,
roseum, and A. ciliatum.

Alstrcemeria (Chilian Lily). — These brilliant plants are,
with only one or two exceptions, perfectly hardy, and require
only the simplest cultivation. They are admirably adapted
for filling odd places and out-of-the-way nooks, •where they
can be left alone undisturbed for years ; that being one of the
conditions of success with them. The soil should be deep,
rich, and light, and it matters not whether the staple is peat
or loam, but it must be well drained, for if in the slightest
degree boggy, the winter will destroy the plants. Plant them
deep ; give them plenty of water during summer, and in
winter cover with a thin sprinkling of tree leaves. They are
increased by divisions of the fleshy roots in autumn. The
best are A. cmrantiaca , height 2 feet, flowers orange and yellow ;
A. Urrembaulti , 2 feet, flowers white, with crimson or yellow
spots ; A. josittacina, 8 feet, flowers crimson and green. There
are many beautiful varieties in cultivation, in addition to the
three here recommended.

Alyssum (Madwort). — The well-known “ Yellow Alyssum”
A. saxatile , makes such a brilliant show in the month of May,
that it is almost impossible to have too much of it. This
showy plant will grow in any soil, but requires an open
sunny situation, and is certainly somewhat unsafe if the soil
is more than ordinarily damp in winter. We have had to
grow thousands of it, and have always found cuttings of the
young shoots better than seeds, but it is easily multiplied by
either plan. The variegated-leaved variety of A. saxatile is
an extremely pretty plant for the rockery or for pot culture.
A. argenteum is a fine showy plant for the rockery, but of far
less value than the common alyssum for the border. The
“variegated alyssum” of the bedding system is A. orientate
variegaium , a decidedly tender plant of comparatively trifling
value.

106

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Anemone (Windflower). — This is one of the most useful
families, both for spring and autumn flowers. The species
are all lovers of a deep, rich, moist soil, such as buttercups
naturally take to. They bear shade well, and may be multi¬
plied by divisions and seeds. A. alpina is a tall plant, flower¬
ing in April ; the flowers large, creamy white inside, purple
outside. A . apennina is a tiny plant, producing lovely blue
flowers in March. It cannot be grown where snails and
slugs abound ; for they never cease to browse upon it while
there is a leaf left. A. nemorosa is another sweet little gem,
with pearly- white flowers ; the double variety to be preferred.
A . rivularis is a fine border plant ; requires a damp soil,
growing two feet high ; flowers white. A. sylvestris grows a
foot high, and produces charming white flowers in April. It
is invaluable for the border. A. Japonica is another first-rate
border plant, floweringfrom August to ISTovember. The common
form has pink flowers, but there is a fine variety, with pure
white flowers, named Honorine Jobert, which may be regarded
as one of the most beautiful and useful border plants of its
season. The Florist’s Anemone, descended from A. coronaria
and A. liortensis , both of which are fine border plants, is better
known than the species above enumerated. The cultivation
of named double anemones of the florists’ section has of late
years greatly declined, probably because considerable trouble
must be bestowed upon them to secure fine flowers. They
require an open position, and well-prepared, deep, rich, loamy
soil. The roots are planted, in rows a foot apart and two
inches deep, in October or November. If the soil in which
they are grown is damp, it is advisable to defer planting until
February ; but they never flower so finely if planted in spring
as if planted in autumn. The roots are taken up in May or
J une, and carefully cleaned and stored away in bags or boxes.
Those who desire the showiest of anemones without the
trouble of growing the double ones properly should plant in
the border plenty of A. coronaria and A . hortensis . Of the
latter, the varieties named stellaiar fulgens , and purpurea are
brilliant in colour, and make a fine display in spring. They
should all be increased by division, unless the cultivator has
some special object in growing them from seed.

Antirrhinum (The Snapdragon). — A. majus is well-
known for its gay flowers and its love of ruins. We see it
flaunting its red and white banners on the top of the tower

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

107

and on the garden wall, and are advised by the fact that it
can live on little and spread itself abroad without the aid of
man. To grow the plant from seed is indeed most easy, and
all that need be said about it is that the seed may be sown at
any time from March to September, and the best way to treat
it is to sow in shallow pans in a cold frame, and plant out
the seedlings in a bed of light earth in a frame, thus to remain
during their first winter. When planted out in the following
spring, a sunny, well-drained spot should be chosen, and
although the plant needs but a mere film of soil to sustain it,
a rich sandy loam will produce finer flowers, and more of
them, than the handful of lime-rubbish on the top of the wall,
where the vagrant snapdragon finds a lodging for itself.
When grown from seed the flowers are various, and while
some are pretty sure to be good, it is equally certain that
many will be bad. Hence the named varieties of the florists*
section are to be preferred for their distinct characters and
splendid flowers. These are to be propagated by cuttings,
which should be treated precisely as advised for the propaga¬
tion of calceolarias at page 69.

BEST THIRTY ANTIRRHINUMS.

Acteon , Admiral , Artist , Bolivar , Bridesmaid , Bravo , Bella ,
Charming, Climax , Crown Jewel, Dr. AP Craken, Fire King,
Flora, George Gordon , Gladiateur, Harlequin , Marquis, Mrs.
MBonald, Ne Plus Ultra, Orange Boven, Prince Alfred,
Striata perfecta, Pretty Polly, Queen of Beauties , Queen of
Crimsons, The Prince , The Bride , Undine, Wrestler , War
Fagle, Yellow Gem .

Aquilegia (the Columbine) will grow in any good soil,
especially if moist and rich, and will thrive almost equally
well in sun or shade. All the species and varieties are worth
growing, as they are neat and pleasing, and a few of them
extremely showy. They are increased by division in autumn
or spring and by seeds sown in March or April. Most of
them sow their seed on the border, and soon form colonies in
the same way as the antirrhinum. The most useful of all is
the Common Columbine, A. vulgaris , of which there are many
splendid varieties, single and double. A. alpina is extremely
pretty; the flowers are purplish blue. A. canadensis is a tall
plant, with bright red and orange-coloured flowers. A . coeru -

108

THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN.

lea is exquisitely beautiful, and one of the choicest herbaceous
plants known ; the flowei*s are of a delicate pale blue colour.
A. glandulosa is a showy species, with blue and white flowers.
A. SJcinneri is a good one, with red and orange-coloured
flowers. They are all summer- flowering plants, making their
first display in May, and continuing to bloom until J une or July.

Arabis. — The Rock Cress presents us with one of the best
of all our spring flowers. A. albida , also known as A. can-
casica and A. crispata. This plant forms a low-spreading tuft
of glaucous leafage, which in the month of April is completely
smothered with snow-white flowers. It will grow in any soil
and situation, but does not flower freely unless enjoying a
somewhat pure air and an open sunny situation. On a bank
or rockery consisting of sandy earth it acquires a glorious
luxuriance of growth, and should be allowed to spread if
space can be afforded it ; for though its season of flowering is
brief, it is unique in its beauty, and throughout the summer
and winter its close leafy growth is pleasing. It may be
grown from seed, but that method is a waste of time. The
best way to increase the plant is to tear it up in August or
September, and dib the pieces into a bed of rather poor soil
that has been well dug for the purpose. Showery weather
should be chosen for this operation, or water must be given,
and the plantation be kept shaded until rain occurs. The
variegated -leaved variety is a valuable rock and bedding
plant, scarcely so hardy as the common green-leaved plant,
and is likely to be destroyed in a severe wunter or a damp
soil. The other species of arabis are not useful border plants,
but the variegated-leaved variety of A. lucida answers well
for edging beds on dry sandy soils, and makes a handsome
tuft on the rockery.

Armeria (Thrift). — The pretty plants of this family thrive
on rockeries and other similarly elevated positions, and on
dry sandy borders. They will also thrive on any good border
of the customary type, but a severe winter is likely to destroy
them when they stand on a cold damp soil. They may be
increased by division at any time during summer and autumn.
The best are, A. alpina , very dwarf, flowers reddish purple ;
A . cephalotes , a beautiful plant, with rosy crimson flowers ;
A. vulgaris , the Common Thrift of the cottage garden, of
which there are red, lilac, and white varieties.

Aster (Michaelmas Daisy). — The plants of this family are

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

109

mostly tall gawky tilings, flowering abundantly in the later
antnmn months. For the back rows of sunny borders they
are useful, and should, if possible, be planted away from
trees, though they bear partial shade with patience. They
are increased by division in spring. The best are A. amellus ,
2 feet high, pale blue ; A. elegans , 2 feet, blue or purple ;
A. ericoideSj 3 feet, white ; A. nova anglice , 4 feet, reddish
purple ; A. turbinellus , 3 feet, purple blue.

Astilbe.— Under this head we place the plant commonly
known as Spiraea Japonica , but which should be described as
Astilbe Japonica , for
it is not a spiraea,
but an alliance of
the saxifrage. It is
one of the loveliest
inhabitants of our
gardens, and very
much grown for sale
in the flower mar¬
kets in early spring.

To grow this as a
border plant select
for it a damp shady
spot and a rich deep
soil. It will be found
perfectly hardy, and
far more likely to
suffer from the heat
of the sun in sum¬
mer than from frost
in winter. Increase
by division when the
plant begins to grow
freely in spring. If
allowed to form large
tufts, it shows its
exquisitely beautiful
fern-like leaves and
feathery flowers to
great advantage. astilbe japonica.

Aubrietia. — This is sometimes called “ Purple Alyssum,’*
but it might with more propriety be called “ Purple Arabia.”

110

tiie amateur’s flower garden.

It is a first-rate plant for a sunny border and for a rockery.
Treat it as recommended for arabis. The best for the border
are A. Oampbelli and A. deltoidea. Of the latter there are
several fine varieties, one of which has variegated leaves. It
is a lovely plant for the rockery, or to grow in a pot with
alpine plants.

Auricula (Bear’s-ear). — The great care bestowed upon the
valuable named varieties, that is to say, the florists’ auriculas,
appears to place this plant at a disadvantage as one adapted
for the borders. Yet we have not a finer border plant, pro¬
vided it has proper treatment. The common border, in which
all sorts of plants are grown, will suit them very well, as a
peep into almost any cottage garden will suffice to demon¬
strate. But to enjoy them in an especial manner as border
flowers, prepare for them a selected spot, facing north, open
and breezy, and shaded from the mid-day sun in summer. There
need not be any elaborate preparation of the soil, but a deep,
well-drained, sandy loam is absolutely needful. If the plan¬
tation is to be a large one, it will be desirable to raise a stock
of plants from seed, and then the question arises, how to
obtain it ? Shop seed of auriculas is, generally speaking, poor
stuff; but there may be somewhere a trader who can and will
part with a pinch worth sowing. As wTe are bound to give
direct advice, we counsel the amateur to purchase a few of the
named varieties of every class — seifs, white, grey, and green-
edged, and alpines. Grow these in frames the first season, and
save as much seed as possible. Sow the seed in pans filled
with fine sandy loam, and keep them in frames always moist,
until the plants appear, bearing in mind that you will have
to wait for them a considerable time. When the seedling
plants are as large as a bean, carefully transplant them into
pans or boxes, or into a bed in a frame, always giving plenty
of air, the use of the frame being advisable, because insuring
the plants more attention than they might obtain if planted
out in the open border in a very small state. When the stock
has increased sufficiently, plant out old and young in the
border, in the month of August, a foot apart, and leave them
to take care of themselves, remembering that the auricula is
one of the hardiest plants known, that drought is death to it,
that damp in winter is only a little less injurious. From the
time the first blooms of the seedling plants appear, a severe
selection must be made. Instantly, upon a bad flower

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Ill

opening, pull out the plant and destroy it. By persevering in
(his course, and saving and sowing seed every year, you. will
secure a fine “ strain ” of border auriculas, and if you can keep
a border of about 150 feet length well filled with them, as we
have done for many years, you will be able to prove, in the
flowering season, that the auricula is one of the loveliest
border flowers we possess. To perpetuate named varieties,
divide the roots in July or August.

BEST FORTY-EIGHT AURICULAS,

Green Edge : Booth's Freedom , Leigh's Colonel Taylor ,
Dickson's Duke of Wellington , Faye's Champion , Hudson's
Apollo , Oliver's Lovely Ann , Smith's Lycurgus , Cheetham's
Lancashire Hero ,

Grey Edge : Headly's George Lightbody , Turner's Fnsign ,
Chapman's Maria , Turner's Competitor , Turner's Colonel
Ohampneys , Beid's Miss Giddings , Fletcher's Ne Plus Ultra ,
Lightbody' s Sir John Moore , Headly's Stapleford Hero .

White Edge : Campbell's Robert Burns , Heap's Smiling
Beauty, Taylor's Glory, Smith's Ne Plus Ultra, Lightbody' s
Countess of Dunmore, Wild's Bright Phoebus .

Selfs : Spalding's Blackbird, Turner's Cheerfulness , JLT«r-
ti/rds Fclipse, Smith's Formosa, Lightbody' s Meteor Flag,
Martin's Mrs. Sturrock, Spalding's Metropolitan, Spalding's
Miss Brightly, Turner's Negro, Chapman' s Sguire Smith ,
Headly's Boyal Purple, Headly's Lord Clyde.

Alpines : Black Prince, Brilliant, Defiance, King of Crim¬
sons, Constellation , Jessie , John Leech , Landseer , Minnie ,
Novelty, Venus, Wonderful .

Bellis. — The Daisy is a good though humble border
flower. To grow it from seed is to make sure of a thousand
worthless plants for one good one. There are in cultivation a
number of beautiful named varieties, which should be pur¬
chased when in flower, if possible, and preferably if in po s.
It is a sheer waste of time to plant any but the very best, and
the best are cheap enough for the humblest amateur. They
may be planted out at any time if taken proper care of, but
the best time to plant, and also to take up and part for in¬
crease, is the month of August. In spring bedding the
daisies play an important part in connection with anemones,
•arabis, wallflowers, and forget-me-nots.

112

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Caltha. — The Marsh Marigold ( C. palustris ) is not only one
of the best things to plant beside a pond or stream, but a good
border plant for a damp soil, and thrives in the shade. The
double- flowering variety is the best : it may be propagated by
division from October to March.

Camassia (the Quamash). — This beautiful blue lily is a
good companion plant to the agapanthus. It must have a
damp, rich soil, and succeeds well in boggy peat. The flowers
do not las*t long, but are charming in their brief day. Divide
when the foliage begins to decay.

Campanula (Bellflower). — The campanulas constitute a
fine group of border flowers, which may be grown from seeds
or divisions with the greatest ease, and thrive in almost any
kind of soil if they but enjoy a moderate amount of sunshine.
The only colours they offer us are blue, purple, and white, in-
various shades and degrees. They all flower in summer. The
best are, C. aggregates, 2 feet, pale blue ; C. alpina, 6 inches,
dark blue ; C. macranthcc , 3 feet, deep blue ; O. glomerata , 2
feet, purple, blue and white ; C. latifolia , 5 feet, purple, a
fine shrubbery plant for a poor soil, as it bears shade well ;
C. persicifolia , 2\ feet, blue. The beautiful coronata is a
variety of (7. persicifolia, and one of the finest of the whole
group ; O. pumila , a diminutive plant, flowering freely, blue
and white ; C. earpatica , dwarf, blue and white, a good bedding
plant ; C. rotundifolia , 1 foot, blue and white.

Carnation. — See Diantpius.

Chrysanthemum. — This grand autumnal flower meets with
but scant attention from the thousands of amateurs whose
necessities and conveniences it appears exactly adapted to.
We do occasionally see a few gay starry flowers in November
in some entrance court, but rarely a border liberally fur¬
nished with the best varieties, and in such finished trim as
Mr. Dale, of the Temple Gardens, presents them to public
notice every year. To “ do ” them is easy enough, but the
few attentions they require must be given them. They are
increased by means of cuttings and division of the plants in
spring, and it is wrell to provide a new stock every year, de¬
stroying the old stocks when a sufficient number of offsets or
cuttings have been obtained from them. However much
might be said about the cultivation of the chrysanthemum, all
that it requires as a border flower maybe summed up in four¬
teen words : Plant in a good soil and keep the plants securely

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 113

staked from the first. All other matters are supplementary
rather than necessary. To insure fine flowers, the soil should
be well manured, and the plants freely watered, and the
shoots should be reduced to six for each plant at the utmost,
and the top flower-bud on each shoot should alone be allowed
to remain after the buds have become fairly visible. In
tying out, aim at forming a compact head, but allow space
between the shoots for light and air ; for shade and confine¬
ment are most detrimental, though these are such excellent
town plants. The Pompone varieties make magnificent beds,
and are quite necessary for the border. When grown on
sloping banks, the large-flowering kinds may be pegged down,
to produce rich festoons and sheets of flowers. So, indeed,
may the pompones ; but as the flowers of these are small, they
are not so well adapted for surfacing, but they make most
beautiful bushes. Very much being said in the books about
“ stopping” (that is, pinching out the shoots) it may be well
here to say that when grown as a border plant, the chrysan¬
themum should never be stopped. The smallest plant put out
in April will make shoots enough long before the time of
flowering, and though stopping does increase their number, it
causes the plants to flower later than they would do if not
stopped, and that means a pretty certain loss of the flowers
altogether, for frost may catch them before the flowers are
out. The large-flowering kinds make good wall plants, and
may be trained to low fences and dividing screens with advan¬
tage ; for they are at least green all the summer, and in
October and November make a splendid show of flowers.

BEST ONE HUNDRED CHRYSANTHEMUMS.

Incurved : Abbe Passaglia , Beethoven , Beverley , Blonde
Beauty , Bronze Jar din des Plantes , Br. Brock, Duchess of
Buckingham , Fingal, General Bainbrigge , General Hardinge,
General Slade , Gloria Mundi , Golden Beverley , Golden Dr.
Brock , Golden John Salter , Guernsey Nugget , Her Majesty ,
Isabella Bott , Jardin des Plantes , John Salter , Lady Hardinge ,
Lady Slade , Le Grand , Lord Derby , Miss Mary Morgan , Mrs.
G. Bundle , Mrs. Brunlees , Mrs. Haliburton , Mrs. Sharp, Mr.
Evans , Mr. W. H. Morgan , Pink Pearl , Prince Alfred , Princess
Beatrice , Princess of Hales , Princess Tech , Bev. J. Dix , Yelloi
Perfection.

Iteflexed : Alma , Cardinal Wiseman , Christine , Chev

114

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN,

Domage , Countess of Granville , Vue de Conegliano , JDr. Sharp,
Golden Christine, Golden Cluster, Julie Lagravere, Prince Albert,
Progne , Sam Slick, White Christine.

Large Anemones : Emperor, Empress , Fleur de Marie ,
George Sand, Gluck, King of Anemones, Lady Margaret , Mar¬
garet of Norway, Mrs. P ethers. Prime of Anemones, Princess
Marguerite , Queen Mar garnet, Sunflower, Virginale.

Pompones: Adonis , Aigle d’Or, Andromeda, Aurore Po¬
re ale, Cedo Nulli, General Canrobert, Golden Aurore, Helene,
Little Beauty, Madame Eugene Domage, Madge Wildfire, Miss
Julia, Mrs. Turner, President Decaisne, Prince Kenna , Bose
d' Amour, Bose Trevenna, Salamon , White Trevenna.

Japanese : Bismarck, Dr. Masters, Emperor of China, G.
F. Wilson, Giant, Grandiflora, James Salter, Madame Godillot,
Nagasaki Violet , Prince Satsuma, Bed Dragon, The Vaimio,
The Mikado, The Sultan, Wizard.

Chrysocoma (Goldylocks). — The pretty O. lynosyris should
have a place in the front of the border, as one of the most
useful of “ old things.”

Colchicum (Meadow Saffron). — Plant in the front line
C. autumnale and its double varieties, C . agrippina and C.
byzantium, and leave them undisturbed for years. They are
really essential, as they flower in October and November,
when the border is likely to be dull.

Convallaria — The Lily of the Valley (0. majalis ) is a
most accommodating plant, and, generally speaking, needs
bat to be planted in a shady spot and left alone, and it will
spread fast and far even to the extent of intruding on gravel
walks, and brink pavements. In cases where it refuses to
grow in this free natural manner, a small bed should be pre¬
pared in a shady spot, consisting of turfy loam from a fat
pasture, and in this bed the roots should be planted in the
autumn. There are some pretty varieties, the most beautiful of
them all is the striped-leaved, which, on account of its delicate
colouring in early spring, is usually grown in pots for deco¬
rating the conservatory. To obtain fine specimens, pot them
into nine-inch pots filled with a mixture of equal parts turfy
loam, rotten hotbed manure, leaf-mould, and silver sand, and
do not disturb them until they have quite filled the pots.

Corydalis (Larkspur Fumitory). — One of this tribe, C.
iutea , is one of our best garden friends, for it will soon form

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

115

a rich round tuft on the border, or spread over an old wall or
ruin with rapidity to adorn the grey stone with brilliant sheets
of yellow flowers all the summer long. O. nobilis is a fine
plant adapted for rock work, and requiring a deep gritty soil.
0. tuberosa with dark purple flowers, and G. t . albiflora with
pure white flowers, are two good border plants. The G. cava
of the catalogues is properly G. tuberosa.

Crocus. — This early-flowering cheerful old friend is quite
appreciated, and we must not indulge in any moan on that
score. Any soil will suit the crocus, but best of all a light
rich sandy loam. The bulbs should be planted three inches
deep in October. If kept out of the ground for any length
of time they deteriorate seriously. A lot that we planted on
the 1st of March with other bulbs in great part perished, and
the few that lived did not flower. Yet in the first instance
they were as fine bulbs as ever were seen.

Delphinium (Perennial Larkspur). — This genus contributes
to the border a splendid series of blue, purple, puce, and white
flowers. They are mostly of medium growth, bearing par
tial, but not heavy shade, though thriving more surely in the
fullest sunshine ; and all require a good deep rich mellow soil.
Their fine qualities should command for them good cultivation.
The first requisite is that they be carefully lifted every year in
the month of November, and planted again after the places
they occupy have been deeply stirred and liberally manured.
They may be divided at the same time if desirable, but large
clumps should first be secured. Another most important duty
of the cultivator is to stake and tie the plants in good time,
as the flower-stems rise in spring ; and the third requisite is
an abundant supply of water during seasons of drought in
summer. The cultivator who cannot give them the attention
required for the full development of their fine qualities may,
nevertheless, do pretty well, for they are not fastidious plants,
but they ought to be aided with stakes to make them safe
against storms. They are not only good border plants, but
grand bedders when carefully pegged down, so that the flower-
stems rise about a foot or eighteen inches from the ground.
The pegging down, however, is a nice business, and no one
should employ delphiniums as bed ding- plants until confident
of the capacity to perform this operation without breaking
the stems, or producing irregularity in the heights of the
flowers. A peculiarly distinct display may be secured during

116

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

the month of June by appropriating a large bed to delphi¬
niums and scarlet geraniums. Some time in the autumn
plant the bed with D. formosum or D. Hendersoni in lines
eighteen inches apart, putting the plants nine inches to a foot
apart in the rows. In the month of May, when the weather
is settled and safe for summer bedders, plant between the
delphiniums in close lines large old plants of scarlet geraniums
that were pretty closely cut down in the early days of March.
If the work is well done, the blue and the scarlet flowers will
appear together, and produce a distinct and striking effect.
As the delphiniums go out of flower, the bed will present
scarlet flowers only. To raise delphiniums from seed is an ex¬
tremely easy matter, but it requires much patience, for some
of the sorts do not germinate for full twelve months after
being sown. The seed should be sown as soon as ripe, and the
pans should be kept in frames, and occasionally looked over,
to remove weeds, which are sure to appear, and if allowed to
grow will render useless all your labour. As all the members
of this family are worth growing, the reader may select at
random from a trade catalogue, but we select six which we
consider most useful: — T> . belladonna , 2\ feet, azure blue; D.
formosum , 3 feet, ultramarine blue ; D. Hendersoni , 3 feet,
ultramarine blue ; D. Hermann Stenger , 4 feet, blue and rose ;
D. magnijicum , 4 feet, purplish or cobalt blue ; D. Wheeleri ,
4 feet, bright blue. A few of the single kinds, and all the
double ones, are sterile, and therefore can only be propagated
by division or cuttings. To obtain the latter, cut down the
plants in July, and in about a month afterwards they will
bristle with tender shoots, which the cultivator must remove
and make plants of.

Dianthus (The Pink). — Under this head we shall speak of
the Carnation, Picotee, Pink, Sweet-William, and a few of
their allies. The alpine pinks we shall have but little to do
with, for they are not border flowers, but the popular members
of the family are of the utmost importance for their beauty,
fragrance, and comparatively docile habit under cultivation.
All these plants require a good soil and a sunny situation, but
a very fair display may be secured even if the ground is partly
shaded and the soil not of the best. The florists pay so much
attention to these plants, and bring them at last to such high
perfection, that those who are unschooled in the “ fancy ” are
apt to fancy that to grow a few good flowers is an almost super-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

117

human undertaking. The truth is quite otherwise, as many
a cottager who has u blundered ” into floriculture without
knowing anything of properties and exhibitions could attest
by the bonny pinks and carnations in his little garden. We
have had, and indeed still have, great clumps of cloves stand¬
ing twelve years in the same borders, with hard woody stems
as thick as a child’s wrist, and great twisted branches of the

CARNATION,

size of walking-sticks, and heads of grass covering a square
yard of ground, and these in the summer bearing hundreds
of grand flowers of the richest colour and most powerful
perfume. It is not in this way, however, that flowers of the
finest quality such as a florist would admire are produced.
One of the first requisites to success in the cultivation of
carnations, picotees, and pinks, is to acquire skill in propa-

118

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

gating them, in order to keep up the stock by means of young
plants. This is the only important feature of the florist’s
procedure that we need notice here, because our business is
simply to treat of them as border flowers.

Many readers of this work may be glad of information on
the essential characters of the three flowers we have now before

PICOTEE.

us. It must be understood, then, that a Pink is heavily coloured
in the middle of every petal, this colouring constituting the
“lacing.” The Carnation is marked in flakes or stripes from
the base to the margin of every petal. The Picotee is edged
with colour in marginal lines. The Clove, or “ girofler ”
(Pr. Girojlier ) of the old poets is a self-coloured carnation,

THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEN.

119

possessing a powerful spicy perfume. For ordinary garden
purposes, the cultivation of carnations, picotees, and pinks is
the same, and therefore they may all be disposed of as one
plant, which will effect a saving of space, and enable the
beginner the more readily to master the first principles. We
shall begin by supposing the reader desirous of having a fair
show of all four classes of flowers, and our first advice is
that the purchase of plants should be made in the month of
September, and that
the whole of the
stock should be at
once planted out.

They may, indeed,
be planted in Octo¬
ber and November,
and again in March
and April, but Sep¬
tember is the best
time. In a well-pre¬
pared soil and in an
ordinary good sea¬
son they will require
but little attention
beyond being neatly
staked as the flower
stems rise ; but on
a hot dry soil, or in
an exceptionably dry
season it may be ad¬
visable to give them
a good soaking of
soft water, or weak
liquid manure, once
a week, from the middle of May to the end ot August. It is
advisable, however, not to give water at all, if circumstances
favour their well-doing without it.

In keeping up the stock the two principal methods are by
layering and piping. Layering is performed from the middle
of July to the middle of August. One or two days before
commencing to layer give the plants a good soaking, unless
the weather happens to be showery. The operation of layer¬
ing is performed as follows : — First strip off* the lower leaves

120

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

of the shoots to be layered. Then take a shoot in the left
hand and bend it towards the stem of the plant with the fore¬
finger, and with a small sharp knife in the right hand care¬
fully cut the shoot half through, a little below the third j oint
from the top, then turn the knife aside and slit the shoot
upwards about half an inch, so as to form a tongue. That
portion of the tongue which extends beyond the joint is to be
cut off and the shoot is ready for layering. Bend it down to
the ground and fix it with a hooked peg, keeping the tongue

open with a pebble
— ~Mp, and cover
ongued por-
rith one inch
} soil and the
ion is com-
The ap-
lce of the
vhen pegged
will be as
ented in the
If dry
3r should fol-
e layers must
atered, and
3 all the at-
i they will
e until they
oted. Some
i September
[ be well to
x emu v e a little
earth from one or
two of the earliest

PliXK.

layers to ascertain if they are well rooted. If they are,
they must be severed from the parent plant by cutting
through close to the joint at which they were layered, and
may be planted out at once, or potted singly in three-inch pots.
Our custom is to plant out a lot in clumps of three plants
each, six inches apart, in order to obtain a good show of bloom
the first year. In the autumn one or two plants are removed
to afford space for the full development of the one or two
remaining.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

121

Piping is of less importance than layering, because it
produces a less useful
class of plants. The
pipings are simply
cuttings, prepared in
a peculiar way. They
are taken off in the
last week of June or
early in July, and con¬
sist of short jointed
shoots, cut off close
below the second or
third joint, the bot¬
tom pair of leaves re¬
moved, and the base
of the cutting split
about a quarter of an
inch. They may be
struck under hand-glasses, or in Looker’s Propa gating-frames,

but the safest way is
to plant them close to¬
gether on a mild hotbed
covered with six inches
of light sandy soil. We
have made thousands of
useful plants by the
rough method of the
cottager, who grows
everything he wants in
the way of choice flowers
by means of slips. The
slips are made by pull¬
ing off the shoots ; one
or two of the lowest
leaves are removed, and
they are dibbed in thickly
in some shady corner, and
are as quickly as possi-

piping. — A, leaves to be removed; B, cut to bIe forgotten, unless the
the joint, and slit the base. weather happens to be

very dry, in which case
they have a daily sprinkle of water to keep them cool and moist.

122

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

.ss

fy? & 3* &

r TV rg XTRJtkJtL

I'X'

!Xj

J iffi

PROTECTING FRAME FOR CARNATIONS.

If the amateur grows any but the commonest sorts, the
saving and sowing of seed will be an interesting and im¬
portant business. The finest varieties of carnation and
picotee will yield but little seed ; indeed, we have found it a

hard task to obtain
a score of good
pods from a hun¬
dred plants ; and
when we had se¬
cured them, we
would not have
sold them for a
guinea a grain. But
how to obtain it,
“ There’s the rub.”
The very common¬
est kinds will, for the
most part, produce
plenty of seed with¬
out any special care.
But those highly bred must have particular attention. In the first
place, look to the semi-double flowers for the best supply. When
you perceive that a seed-pod is swelling, pluck the petals one
by one out of the calyx or cup, taking care at the same time
not to injure the two horns (styles) in the centre. As the
seed-vessel fills up, you may, with a pair of scissors, cut off
the ends of the cup (calyx) all round, and make a slight
incision down it, to prevent lodgment of wet. Towards the end
of September the seed will be ripe, when it must be gathered
and stored away. It will be well to cut off the pods first and
place them in bell-glasses in a sunny greenhouse, to ripen
and shell out, as advised at page 99. To raise seedling plants
sow in pans in April, in good sandy soil, and cover the seed
half an inch deep. Keep only moderately moist, and have
patience. Above all things, do not push the seed forward in
heat; a cold frame is the proper place for the seed-pans.
Grow the young plants on in beds of light soil, in a sheltered
sunny spot, and plant them in the borders in August, or in a
reserve bed in rows nine inches apart. In planting, press the
soil firmly to their roots, and finish with a good watering.

In places where hares and rabbits destroy carnations and
pinks, they may be effectually protected by means of small

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 123

covers made of common wrood hoops and bramble branches, as
represented in the figure.

Those species of dianthus
which may be properly
classed amongst alpine
flowers are simply of no
use at all in the herbaceous
border, and therefore we
shall pass them by. Our
business is to find showy, ro¬
bust- habited plants that do
not require the peculiar con¬
ditions which are essential to
the well-doing and perhaps
to the very life of the mountaineers. First amongst the most
useful after carnations, picotees, and pinks, we must take
the Sweet-William (_D. barbatus ), which is either a biennial or
a perennial at the will of the cultivator. To praise this
flower would be like “ gilding refined gold,” and so we
abstain from eulogy, and say that seed may be sown in
March or July. If sown early, under hand-glasses, or in a
very gentle heat, the plants will bloom in the autumn of the
same year ; if sown in July, they will not bloom until the
following season. Our own preference is always for July
sowing of seed newly ripe, and the planting out of the stock
as soon as large enough where the plants are to bloom the
following season. The sweet-william is remarkably hardy,
and will endure severe winters on cold heavy soils, where car¬
nations would perish. There are some fine double varieties
which never produce seed, and in every plantation single varie¬
ties occur which it is desirable to perpetuate. It is a quite
easy matter to multiply these by cuttings, and the best way
is to take for the purpose the blind shoots ; that is, the shoots
that do not flower at the very time when the flowers are in
perfection. The most simple cold-frame treatment is suffi¬
cient ; but it would be well to plant them out as soon as
rooted, in order4 that, being well established, they may flower
freely in the following season.

We have now almost done with Dianthus, but the section
will be incomplete without a few more notes. D. caryoyhyllus ,
the Carnation or Clove in its unimproved or wild form, is a
pretty little garden plant, with copious tufts of glaucous

124

TI-IE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

grass-like leaves and small purple or white flowers. In like
manner D. plumarius , the wild pink, may be adopted as an
“ interesting ” plant to decorate rockeries and ruins, though
its white or purple fringed flowers must occupy one of the
lowest places in the ranks of floral beauty. D. superbus , the
superb pink, is a fine border and rock plant with pink, purple,
or white flowers, and deeply divided petals. D. cruentus , the
sanguineous pink, resembles the sweet-william, but is less
robust ; on a dry sunny border or rockery it produces an
abundant display of its fine blood-crimson flowers. D. dentosus ,
the toothed pink, is a dwarf tufted plant, with large purplish
flowers, that requires a warm dry border or sunny nook in a
rockery. D. hybridus , the mule pink, is of small growth and
extremely pretty, the flow’ers ranging from white to scarlet
in colour in the several varieties, of which there are about
half-a-dozen. The last-named section is admirably suited
for pot-culture, and are particularly valuable to supply cut
flowers in winter.

BEST THIRTY-SIX SHOW CARNATIONS.

Scarlet Bizarres : Admiral Curzon (Easom), Captain
Thompson (Puxley), Dreadnought (Daniels), Duke of Welling -
ton (Bragg), Duke of Grafton (Hooper), Lord Napier (Taylor),
Sir Joseph Paxton (Ely), William Pitt (Puxley).

Crimson Bizarres : Anthony Dennis (Wood), Colonel
North (Kirtland), Eccentric Jack (Wood), Lord Goderich
(Gill), Lord Milton (Ely), Rifleman (Wood), The Lamplighter
(Wood), Warrior (Slater).

Scarlet Flakes : Annihilator (Jackson), Christopher Sly
(May), Illuminator (Puxley), Ivanhoe (Chadwick), John
Bay ley (Dodwell), Mr. Batter sby (Gibbins), Sportsman (Had-
derley), William Cowper (Wood).

Purple Flakes : Dr. Foster (Foster), Earl of Stamford
(Elliott), Florence Nightingale (Seeley), Mayor of Nottingham
(Taylor), Mayor of Oldham (Hep worth), Ne Plus Ultra
(Hooper), True Blue (Taylor), Squire Meynell (Brabbon).

Bose Flakes: John Keet (Whitehead), Mr. Martin (Elk-
ington) , Lovely Ann (Ely), Nymph (Puxley) Poor Tom (May),
Queen Boadicea (Empsall), Pose of Sharon (Wilkinson), Rosa -
belle (Schofield). . ^

Pink and Purple Bizarres : Captivation (Taylor), Falcon -
bridge (May), Fanny (Dodwell), John o’ Gaunt (May), Mas-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

125

2 ferpiece (Schofield), Purity (Wood), Sarah Payne (Ward),
Shakespeare (Puxley).

BEST THIRTY-SIX SHOW PICOTEES.

Heavy Red Edge : Colonel Cleric (Norman), Countess oj
Wilton (Holland), Exhibition (Elkington), Pavourita (Kirt-
land), John Smith (Bonus), Lord Valentine (Kirtland), Mrs.
Brown (Headly), Mrs. Norman (Norman).

Light Red Edge : Ada Mary (Smith), Agnes (Taylor),
Linda (Eellowes), Miss Holbeck (Kirtland), Miss Turner
(Taylor), Mrs. Reynolds Hole , Countess Waldegrave (Turner),
Wm. Summers (Simmonite).

Heavy Purple Edge : Admiration (Turner), Charmer
(Maltby), Favourite (Norman), Lord Nelson (Norman), Mrs.
Bayley (Dodwell), Mrs. Summers (Simmonite), Nimrod (Eel¬
lowes), Picco (Jackson).

Heavy Rose Edge : Aurora (Smith), Flise (Kirtland),
Gem of Poses (Gibbons), Flower of the Bay (Norman), Gipsy
Bride (Wood), Pauline (Fellowes), Princess Alice (Kirtland),
Scarlet Queen (Wood).

Light-edge Rose : Empress Eugenie (Kirtland), Lucy
(Taylor), Maid of Clifton (Taylor), Miss Sewell (Kirtland),
Miss Wood (Wood), Mrs . Fisher (Taylor), Purity (Payne),
Posy Circle (Payne).

Light Purple Edge : Amy Pohsart (Dodwell), Bridesmaid
(Simmonite), Ganymede (Simmonite), Lady Flcho (Turner),
Mary (Simmonite), National (Kirtland), Princess of Wales
(Kirtland), Pev. G. Jeans .

BEST THIRTY-SIX SHOW PINKS.

Annie Chater, Beautiful , Beauty , Beauty of Bath, Bertram ,
Blondin , Charles Waterton , Christabel , Belicata , Device , Dr.
Maclean , Edwin , Flcho , Emily , Eustace , Excellent , Excelsior ,
Flower of Eden , Invincible , John Ball , Lady Craven , Lady
Clifton , Lizzie , Lord Herbert , Marion , Mildred , Mrs. Maclean ,
Mrs. Enfield , Perfection , Picturata, Prince Frederick William ,
i?er. 6r. Jeans, Sebastian , Sylph , The Pride of Colchester ,
Vesta.

Di elytra (China Fumitory). — There are about half-a-dozen
species and varieties in cultivation, but only one, Z). specta -
ZnZ’s, a charming pink-flowered plant, and its white variety

126

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

D. s. alba , are worth growing. These two plants are alike
in constitution, and may be spoken of as one for the purpose
we have now in view. The hardiness of the Dielytra, is in a
great measure determined by the nature of the soil in which
it is grown. When planted in a dry sandy loam, it is rarely
injured by the severest winter weather ; but, on the other
hand, long-continued frost and snow will completely destroy
the plants that grow in a deep, strong, damp loam. We have
seen it standing five feet high, and broader across the head
than a man could span, and then it was indeed indescribably
beautiful. On our cold, heavy, damp soil it is comparatively
useless, and we therefore grow it as a pot plant in the alpine
house, and thus enjoy its elegant lively figure at the same
time as the scillas, epimediums, drabas, and alpine primulas
are in flower. The plant is easily multiplied by dividing the
roots in autumn.

Digitalis (Foxglove). — The perennial species are second-
rate things ; the Common Foxglove, D. purpurea, is a biennial,
and must therefore be kept up by sowing seeds, unless, as
commonly happens, after once obtaining a place in a garden,
it maintains its position by means of self-sown seed. Where
a considerable variety of herbaceous plants is required, the
following may be planted — namely, D . grandiflora, 3 feet high,
flowers yellow ; D. ferr-uginea , 3 feet, bronze coloured ; D.
ochroleuca , 3 feet, pale yellow. They require a deep sandy
loam, well drained, and it is well to put into the holes in
which they are planted two or three whole bricks or large
stones, so that the roots stand on a hard platform a foot or so
below the surface.

Dodecatheon (American Cowslip). — Here is a charming
little group of primulaceous plants, with flowers like those of
a cyclamen. They require a rich, light, moist soil, and a shady
situation, and should be taken up and divided in spring every
three years. They may also be increased by seeds sown as
soon as ripe in a cold frame. The best are D. integrifolium ,
flowers rosy crimson ; D. Jeffreyi , very large leaves, and four-
parted puce-coloured flowers; D . meadia elegans , rose and
lilac ; JD. m. albiflorum , white.

Erythronium. — The Dog’s-tooth Violet may be regarded
as a companion to the American cowslip, though it belongs
to the lilies, and not to the primulas. It will grow in a deep,
light, mellow loam, or in peat or leaf-mould, or in heavy loam

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 127

improved with a good admixture of old manure rotted to
dust, and a considerable proportion of sand. We grow a
few in the alpine house for
the sake of their handsome
spotted leaves as well as their
charming flowers. Propagate
by offsets as soon as the leaves
have fairly perished. The best
are E. giganteum , a splendid
white-flowered kind ; E. dens
canis , the common dog’s-tooth
violet, reddish purple; E. Ame¬
ricana, yellow.

Ficaria (Lesser Celan¬
dine) . — This sweet little early-
flowering British weed is most
valuable for damp shady spots,
where few other plants will
grow, its bright green leaves
and golden flowers being most
welcome in the early spring.

We have seen great patches
in most unpromising spots in
dark, damp, sour town gar¬
dens, and therefore it must
have a place in this selection.

All the varieties spread rapidly if the position suits them.
There are four varieties : single yellow, double yellow, single
white, and double white.

Fritillaria (Crown Imperial). — This noble plant should
be fairly represented in every herbaceous border, and to grow
it well it needs no skill at all ; for the proper course of pro¬
cedure is to leave it alone. Plant the bulbs in good deep
loam in October. Take up and divide every three years. M
imperialis and its varieties, of which there are many, are alone
worthy of general cultivation. The variegated leaved varieties
are exceedingly beautiful. They make noble pot plants for
the conservatory and for the plunging system.

Funkia. — A pretty group of liliaceous plants, with various
and always handsome foliage. Any soil or situation will suit
them, but rich sandy loam or peat is the most suitable, with
partial shade. In a garden where snails abound they should

128

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

only be grown in pots in frames, for if the snails find them the
owner will lose them. The most distinct are F. grandijlorar
leaves pale green, flowers white ; F. ovata , broad egg-shaped
leaves, and lilac-bine flowers; F. Sieboldiana , large ovate
glaucous leaves, and pale lilac flowers ; F. subcordata (syn.
Japonica) variegata , an extremely beautiful plant, with pale
amber or cream-coloured leaves and white flowers.

Gentiana (Gentian). — This is commonly regarded as a
troublesome genus, requiring some magical method of culti¬
vation to insure a fair production of its notable deep blue
flowers. The magic consists for the most part in planting
properly in the first instance, and then leaving the plants
undisturbed for any length of time. We make a pilgrimage
occasionally to see a few great sheets of gentians bearing'
thousands of flowers — a wonderful sight. The plants have
stood untouched for twenty years, and have travelled from
the border to the gravel walk, and compelled their owner
to make a new walk, to provide a way round them, this
being preferable to disturbing or destroying a single leaf or
root. It must be confessed, however, that the strictly
alpine species are fastidious and comparatively unmanageable,
and cannot be properly regarded as border plants. We shall
have nothing to say about the mountain gentians, and proceed
at once to say that G. acaulis , the Stemless Gentian, will grow
freely and flower finely in a deep, firm, moist, stony soil which
is neither clay nor sand. If a position is made for it, take out
at least a square yard of soil, one foot deep, and fill up with a
mixture of mellow turfy loam and large stones, and tread it
firm and plant. In the cottage gardens, where we occasionally
see it thriving gloriously, its well-doing is usually to be attri¬
buted to its having obtained a soil to its liking, and having
been left alone to enjoy it. G. asclepiadea grows a foot and a
half high, has purplish flowers, and thrives on a deep rich
loam. There is a white variety : both are good border plants.
G. cruciata , with deep blue cross-shaped flowers, the plant
scarcely a foot high, will thrive in any good border. G. lutea ,
the source of the druggist’s u gentian root,” is a handsome
plant, three feet high, with yellow flowers ; it grows freely in a
deep rich moist loam. G. saponaria will thrive in any good
border ; the plant rises a foot and a half, the flowers are blue
and barrel-shaped. G. verna is such a gem, that though really
fastidious, we must not omit it from this universal selection.

THE amateur’s flower garden.

129

Find for it a cold and breezy situation in the border or rockery.

The soil mnst be deep, rich, and cool, and so long as the plant
is in the humour to grow, it must have constant supplies of

130

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

cold water . We began this selection with the intention cf
ignoring every troublesome and second-rate plant, and we
break the rule here only because Gentiana verna is one of the
loveliest plants in the world, and if it occasions a little trouble
there will be found a few amongst our readers willing and
glad to gratify its little whims and fancies. Any one with a
soul big enough to poise on the point of a needle might feel
a stirring of sentimentalism when beholding a great patch of
the vernal gentian, quilted with flowers, in the month of April,
and perhaps Campbell’s song might suit the vein : —

cc I love you for lulling me "back into dreams
Of tlie blue Highland mountains and echoing streams—

And of birchin glades breathing their balm,

While the deer was seen glancing in sunshine remote,

And the deep mellow crush of the wood-pigeon’s note,

Made music that sweetened the calm.”

Cultivators of gentians may be thankful for a portrait of
the tantalizing G. Fortune i, which, we are proud to say, was
drawn from life. As we cannot keep the plant we cannot
recommend it ; but we shall hope for the day when the proper
treatment of the plant shall be understood, when, no doubt, it
will be found ready and willing to grow like a weed.

Geranium (Crane’s-bill). — Very few of the hardy gera¬
niums are worth a place in the garden, and those few have
but to be planted and left alone and they will spread rapidly
and thrive without care. The simplest way to multiply them
is by division of the roots. The best are G. jorcitense, a hand¬
some plant, with purplish-blue flowers ; G . sanguineum , well
known, tufted, dark green leaves, and bright rosy purple
flowers ; the variety G. s. Lctncastriensis is better than the
species ; G. striatum is extremely pretty, the flowers delicately
pencilled, the leaves bright light green.

Gladiolus. — We must either say very much or very little
under this head, and we elect to say the least possible. In
warm, dry, sandy borders the finest kind of gladioli may be
kept in the ground as hardy herbaceous plants ; but, generally
speaking, they require to have special care in cultivation, and
to be taken up in autumn and kept as dry bulbs through the
winter. We have tried again and again to “acclimatize the
Earned varieties of G . ramosus and G. gandavensis in other
words, wc had left them out in the border, and have, except on a

the amateur’s flower garden.

131

few occasions, lost them wholly, so that in spring there were no
plants to he found on the sites where they bloomed the pre¬
vious autumn. However, as hardy herbaceous plants, a few
species are available, and G. cardinalis , bright red, G. insignis ,
orange red, and G. segetum , reddish purple, belong to this list,

because they were fine handsome plants, and will live through
the winter in any good well-drained border.

The garden varieties of the gladiolus have within the past
few years acquired immense popularity, the result in a great
measure of the immense improvements that have been effected
in the race by systematic cross breeding. We have now hun¬
dreds of named varieties, very many of them of stately habit
and remarkably sumptuous in colouring. The soil in which

132

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

these attain to fullest development is a rich gritty loam, con¬
taining a considerable store of vegetable matter, whether in
tbe form of turf or leaf-mould. They thrive well in peat, and
in any soil that is of a mellow texture and highly nutritive.
The dry bulbs may be started in pots, in a pit or greenhouse,
in February and March, and planted out in May ; or they may
be planted where they are to remain in the first instance, in
tbe month of April. To be supplied with water in liberal
measure, and have the support of neat stakes in due time, are
the principal items in their management. They must be
taken up as soon as the leaves begin to wither.

BEST FIFTY GLADIOLI.

Adolphe Brongniart, Belle Gccbrielle, Brenchleyensis, Due de
MalaJcoff , Ftenclard, Eugene Scribe, Furydice , Felicien David ,
Fenelon, Fulton , Galilee , linger atrice Eugenie, James Veit eh,
John Water er, La Fiancee , Le Dante , Legouve, Lord Byron, Ma -
dame Dombrain, Maclame Domage, Madame Furtccdo, Madame
Vilmorin, Madame Adele Souchet, Madame Basseville, Madame
de Vatry, Madame JIaquin, Madame Boh our din, Mary Stuart ,
Marechal Vaillant, Maihilde de Landevoisin, Meyerbeer, Michel
Ange, Moliere, Mozart, Napoleon III., Newton , Brincess Clo -
thilde, Princess Mary of Cambridge, Princess Mathilde, Princess
of Wales, Bembrandt, Bev. M. J. Berkeley, Bobert Fortune ,
Bossini, Semiramis, Sir J. Faxton, Sir W. Hooker , Schiller ,.
Stuart Low, Thomas Methven , Thomas Moore.

Gypsophila. — An extremely pretty genus, quite hardy, and
peculiarly useful for bouquets, their tiny flowers, borne on
slender stems, being like fairy filagree work amongst more
showy flowers. Plant G. dubia , G. paniculatci, G. prostata ,
and G. saxifraga, or any one of them, the second being the
best if only one is required.

Heliantitemum (Sun-rose). — These are pretty plants, but of
quite secondary value. They are supposed to require hot,
dry, sunny knolls, and certainly do well in such positions ;
but we find them quite hardy and prosperous on our heavy
damp loam in a very cold climate. There are more than a
score good varieties, alike in habit and differing in the
colours of their flowers only. The following half dozen will
please those who can find entertainment in their compara¬
tively insignificant flowers: — Croceum, yellow; Double Car *

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 133

mine, carmine ; Rosy Gem, rose ; Sudbury Gem, crimson ; Sin¬
gularity, salmon yellow ; Miss Lake, primrose.

Helianthus (Everlasting Sunflower). — These large-grow-
ing coarse plants are useful in large gardens and to make a
blaze of yellow in rough half-wild places. II. dijfusus, 4 feet,
and H. midtiflorus, 4 feefc, are the best of them. Divide when
needful.

Helleborus (The Christmas Rose) is a grand plant,
flowering from the end of the year to the middle of March, as
the situation and the weather may determine. A heavy soil
and a shady suits them all well, and it is of the utmost
importance to leave them for many years undisturbed. In
cold exposed places it is well to place hand-lights over the
plants as soon as they begin to make new growth, in order to
help the flowering, and the same practice may be resorted to
for the production of an early bloom. II. niger is the best,
the flowers are large, pure white, and resemble those of the
water lily, though smaller. H. olgmpicus is worth growing,
but none others are except by the insatiate searchers after
uninteresting plants. Divide as needful in autumn, but the
less disturbance the better.

Hemebocallis (The Day Lily) is one of the best plants
known for shady borders, and has but to be planted and left
alone and it will do its duty. It is not a grand plant cer¬
tainly, but its bright green sword-shaped leaves and bright
ephemeral flowers are doubly valuable, because the worst
situations will produce them in plenty. Increase by division,
but allow the clumps to spread undisturbed for many years, if
possible. II. flava, yellow; JEL. fulva, orange; II. Kwanso ,
double yellow, are the best. The variegated-leaved varieties
are fine things for the border, or to grow in pots for the
conservatory.

Hepatic a (Liver-leaf). — The lovely flowers of the hepa-
ticas, produced in prodigal profusion in the earliest days of
spring, outshine many of their companions of the garden
borders, and best of all amongst a thousand suggest the fancy
that the rainbows have changed to many coloured gems, and
fallen in showers on the newly greened earth. So persistently
do these beauties shrink from the hand of the careless culti¬
vator, that when we meet with them in great flowery clumps,
surpassing topaz, or sapphire, or ruby, or “orient pearl” in
lustre, we know they have long been left to grow in tlicir

134

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

own sweet way, as those described by Milton in the happy
garden : — •

u Flowers worthy of Paradise, which not nice art.

In beds and curious knots, but nature born
Poured forth profuse on hill, and dale, and plain,

Both where the morning sun first warmly smote
The open field, and where the unpierced shade
Imbrown’d the noontide bowers.”

It is easy enough to fail in the cultivation of hepaticas.
Plant little mites in borders that are regularly dug and
scratched, and altered and messed and muddled by that class of
gardeners whose inborn faith it is that a tree exists only to be
cut down and the prettiest weed to be pulled up ; trust to this
order of genius and you will never see any hepatica a second
time. The amateur who has a fancy for perpetually trans¬
planting, dividing, and improving, will never succeed with
hepaticas, for the secret of success may be said to consist in
first finding a proper place for them, and, secondly, in leaving
them alone. Almost any soil will suit these lovely plants, but
best of all a deep, rich, sandy loam — if stony all the better.
Partial shade is better for them than the full sun, and a cold
climate better than a warm one. When the clumps attain
great size and rise up high above the ground, it will be
advisable to lift and divide and plant again in soil deeply
dug and refreshed with liberal manuring. The time for this
operation is the autumn, when the growth of the season is
quite matured. Where large masses occupy selected spots, it
is advisable to spread over them in autumn a thin coat of dead
leaves and short manure, through which the flowers will push
in the following spring with increased vigour to make a more
splendid show than would be possible without such aid. H.
angulosa is a splendid species, with large sky-blue flowers.
H. triloba is the best known, and there are about a dozen
varieties of it, all of which are of equal value, so that to
pick and choose amongst them would only be a waste of
time.

Hollyhock. — This grand landscape flower will never
cease to be a favourite with the artists and the whole of that
happy race who love the country, though the florists may
solemnly assure us that it has fallen from its high estate.
Fashion may vary the price of a thing, but it cannot enhance
or depreciate the beauty of a single flower. To grow the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 135

Hollyhock (Althcea rosea) in the garden border is a simple
business enough, as may be learnt by observation. But to do
it well, the soil should be deep and rich and damp, the
situation open, and the climate gentle. It will grow well,
however, on poor, dry soils, if aided with a good preparation
in the first instance, and plentiful supplies of liquid manure
afterwards. Sewage in a very weak state suits it admirably.
Partial shade they bear well, but in deep shade they scarcely
live. When standing on a damp soil, and especially in a cold
locality, a severe winter is death to the hollyhock; but under
moderately favourable circumstances, the plant is quite hardy,
and if allowed to stand for a few years, acquires a buxom
character, with its huge cluster of spikes, far to be pre¬
ferred to the single spikes fro-m young plants which con¬
tent the florist. In making a plantation, secure pot plants of
named varieties, the best of which are cheap enough for the
humblest amateur. Plant in March or April, at three feet
apart every way, arranging the plants, if possible, in accord¬
ance with their respective heights and colours. In a kindly
season they will flower well if planted as late as May. They
should be staked at the time of planting, or soon after, and
be kept carefully and loosely tied as they advance; for if
neglected, one small storm may tear the plantation to pieces.
To propagate the named sorts, take cuttings from the base of
the plant in August and pot them, and, if possible, promote
quick rooting by placing them on a gentle bottom-heat. They
must be repotted into separate pots, at least five inches in
diameter, in October, and placed in a cold frame or green¬
house for the winter. Good seed will produce good plants,
and therefore a stock may be got up quickly and with the
most trifling cost by the amateur who can banish the word
“ trouble” from the garden vocabulary, and substitute 44 amuse¬
ment” in place of it. If sown in February in a gentle heat,
and grown on with careful regard to the fact that the plant
is hardy and cannot well endure a strong heat, the seedlings
may be planted out in May, and will bloom well the same
season. Those who cannot manage them in this way had
best sow the seed in July, and as soon as the plants are large
enough to handle, plant them out in a bed of sandy soil in a
frame, where they may remain until the time arrives for
planting out.

130

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

BEST FIFTY HOLLYHOCKS.

Light : Beauty of Milforcl , Cygnet , Cams Chafer ,

Queen, Royal White .

Yellow, Orange, and Salmon : Hercules , John Cowan ,
Junia , Leah, Mrs. Downie, Stanstead Rival , Orange Boven, W.
Bean, Yellow Defiance, Excelsior, Gem of Yellows Improved,
John Row, Primrose Gem, Walden Queen.

Crimson, Red, and Rose : Captain Grant, Earl of Rosslyn,
Fanny Chater, George Keith, Glory of Walden, Lady Dacres,
Lady Vaux, Lady Rokeby, Mrs. Bruce Todd, Queen Victoria,
Rev. E. Ilawke, Royal Scarlet, Beauty of Walden, Crimson
Royal, Garibaldi , Mrs. Hastie, Richard Dean, William Thomson ,

Lilac and Peach : Countess Craven, Countess Russell, Lilac
Perfection , Ne Plus Ultra, Willingham Defiance, Miss Barrett ,
Rose Celestial.

Purple and Maroon : Princess, Purple Emperor, Purple
Prince , Othello, Black Knight, Lord Taunton, Purple Standard.

Hyacinth. — This most valuable and early-flowering bulb
is as well adapted for border culture as any plant in this list,
though commonly regarded as a delicate thing that must be
grown in pots with the aid of artificial heat. As “mixtures ”
of bulbs sorted in colours can be purchased at an extremely
low rate of the seedsmen, and as a number of splendid named
varieties may be obtained at a rate but little in excess of that
charged for mixtures, and as, moreover, the simplest culture
suffices to insure a brilliant display, there is every reason to
favour a more extensive employment of the hyacinth in the
British flower garden. A rich sandy mellow soil they must
have, and if the weather is dry for some time when these
flower-spikes are rising, water must be given abundantly.
Plant the bulbs in October and November full six inches deep
and six inches apart. If they push through extra early, owing
to warm weather in December and January, spread over the
bed a mulch of stable litter or cocoanut-fibre refuse to protect
them from frost. This, however, will rarely be necessary, for
they are not injured by frosts of ordinary intensity. Take up
and store the sand as soon as the leaves decay. We have
within view of the windows at the moment of writing this
(May 2), a glorious display of hyacinths, tulips, and narcissi,
which were only planted on the 1st of March previously.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

137

That, of course, is an extreme case, but it shows that the culti¬
vator has a range of full six months in which to purchase and
plant these bulbs.

THE BEST CHEAP HYACINTHS.

Single: Amphion , Duchess of Richmond, Emmeline , L' Ami
du Coe-ur , Lord Wellington , Madame Rachel , Norma , Sultan's
Favourite , Grand Vainqueur , Grandeur d Merveillc , Kroon
Princess, Baron Von Tuyll , Mourant , Charles Dickens ,

L'Ami du Cceur , Mimosa , Prince Albert, L' Unique, Alida Jacob a,
Heroine.

Double : Bouquet Royale, Grootvoorst , Princess Royal ,
TFaZerZo.o, Anna Maria , .Let Tour d' Auvergne, Blocksberg , Z/orcZ
Wellington , Ojphir d'Or.

Iberis (Candytuft). — The perennial candy tufes rank with
arabis and alyssum in habit, season, and profusion of flowers.
Much might be said in their praise, but a few words will
suffice as to their cultivation. Any soil or situation, except it
be very damp or heavily shaded, will suit them, but they attain
to the finest development on a deep, dry, sandy loam, in an
open sunny situation, and are always more healthy and flori-
ferous when raised above the general level, as, for example,
on banks and rockeries. For masses of white flowers in the
spring garden more compact growing species are invaluable,
and as they may be grown with little trouble to a most perfect
state in pots, they answer admirably for plunging. They may
be raised from seed or cuttings, the latter being the better way.
The best time to take cuttings is when the young shoots of
the season are nearly full grown and are becoming firm. If
put in next the sides of pots filled with sandy soil, and shut up
in a cold frame, they will soon make plants. They should
pass the first winter in frames, and be planted out in the
ensuing spring. If seed can be obtained, sow as soon as ripe,
and grow the plants in frames until the following spring.
There are a few inferior varieties in cultivation which, of
course, are to be avoided. The best for massing, whether
planted out or in pots, is the true I. semper virens, a compact
growing light green plant, producing an abundance of pure
white flowers. I. Pruiti has dark green leaves, the growth
dense, the flowers pure white, abundantly produced. I. cori -
folia is a valuable rock plant, and from its diminutive growth

138

TIIE amateur’s flower garden.

adapted for forming a neat edging to beds in tbe spring
garden. Z. Gibraltarica is a very fine species. The plant is
smooth, the growth tufted, the flowers white, in very large
heads. In cold damp soils it is not hardy, but in dry positions
in the southern counties is not harmed by the severest winter.
Z. Tenor eana resembles the last in growth, but is hairy, and
the flowers soon change from white to lilac, or purplish
red.

Iris. — This is a great and grand family of garden plants,
the real merits of which are at present known to but few,
except the botanists, who, reversing the proper order of
things, have obtained all the beauties of the family for their
own enjoyment, while the world at large contents itself with
the rubbish. A great tuft of common iris in a cottage garden
is certainly no mean thing, but when we turn to the pre¬
tentious garden, the owner of which professes to have all the
good things, we do not find the German iris, because it is
“ common,” nor do we meet with such exquisitely beautiful
plants as 1. reticulata , Z. susiana , or the pretty little I. pumila,
or the variable and exquisitely painted “ English ” and
u Spanish” iris. It has been truly said that amongst the
species and varieties of iris occur flowers that rival the orchids
in splendour of colouring, and may well stand in the stead of
orchids in the garden where the costly exotics have not been
domiciled. Fortunately the requirements of this family are
few and of the simplest character, and admit, therefore, of
being stated in very few words.

The family may be divided into two classes, the Ehizo-
matous and the Tuberous-rooted. In the first section the
plants have fleshy, spreading, mat-like root-stocks orrhizomas ;
the second have tuberous roots, and for the better under¬
standing of the distinction, may be termed bulbous-rooted.

The mat-rooted sorts claim attention first, as they are the
most accommodating. They will thrive in any good garden
soil, but when special attention is given them, the soil should
be a deep, rich, moist loam. They thrive equally in sun and
shade, but rarely attain to full development unless enjoying
a few hours’ sun from April to October. They are admirably
adapted for planting in semi-wild places, and a few of them
are especially valuable to adorn the margins of streams, and
to fill up moist inlets about a lake or mere. Usually they
produce plenty of seed, which should be sown as soon as ripe

TIIE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

139

on a bed of fine soil in a cold frame, or on a prepared plot on
a sheltered sunny border, the seed-bed to be covered with a
few branches of evergreens until the seedling plants appear.
Generally speaking, division of the root-stock in autumn will
be found a sufficiently rapid mode of propagating, as the
plants spread fast, and the smallest bit of root will “ make
itself” in one season. They should be planted rather deep
according to the size of the roots, as they grow ujpivarcls, and
should be taken up every four or five years, and be planted
again deep enough to cover the crowns. When this is done,
the roots can be divided if desirable, and the ground ought
certainly to be deeply stirred and manured. The most
valuable species in this section is I. Germanica , the “ blue
flag 55 of the cottage-garden. Of this there are many varie¬
ties, a few extremely beautiful, and many worthy a place in
the garden, for the sake of their singular markings and
curious shades of colour. Our fine British plant, the yellow
water iris, I. joseud-acorus0 makes a grand mass of perennial
herbage, and a bonny show of yellow flowers in June, when
planted in a muddy inlet, or any odd bit of water waste. L
foetidissima is equally useful for positions a little less moist,
but likes to be near water. I. graminea is a good garden
iris, with flowers violet purple or yellow. 1. lutescens is a
pretty little iris suited for a sunny bank or rockery, the
flowers are pale yellow. I. pumila, the dwarf, or Crimean
iris, is a charming plant for front lines and clumps in the
flower-garden, and worth growing in pots. There are about a
dozen varieties, of which the best are coerulea , blue ; versicolor ,
blue and white ; atroccerulea , dark blue ; and lutea, yellow. I
susiana is a grand plant for those who can grow it. The
requirements being a warm dry soil and a sheltered situation.

The Tuberous or Bulbous-rooted kinds require a rich,
sandy, well-drained soil and shade from the mid-day sun in
summer. They all thrive in sandy peat, but there is no occa¬
sion to purchase peat for them in districts far removed from
peat-lands, because any good soil will be improved to suit
them by being well broken up, and plenty of old stable-manure,
leaf- mould, and sharp sand added to it. These kinds should
be planted only two or three inches deep, as they grow down¬
wards ; and independent of the desirability of occasionally
dividing the roots, they must every three or four years be
lifted and planted again near the surface. I. reticulata is an

140

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

exquisitely beautiful little plant, witb brilliant violet and orange-
tinted flowers, that may be likened to violet velvet richly
embroidered with gold lace ; I. tuberosa , the snake iris, is a
curiosity not wanting in beauty ; I. xijohioides, the “English”
iris, and I. xiphium , the “ Spanish” iris, are charming things
that increase rapidly by seeds, and vary in a delightful manner,
the prevailing colour in both cases being what is called a
“ porcelain blue.”

Lathyrus (Everlasting Pea). — The showy plants of this
family are well known for their rapid growth and splendid
flowers. To cover low trellises, arbours, and the sunny parts
of rockeries they are invaluable, and any good soil will suit
them. They must have sun, or they can scarcely live. They
make splendid displays if allowed to spread over a mound on
the lawn, and indeed may be employed as bedding plants in
any odd peculiar spots where colour is of more importance
than neatness. The following are fine plants : — L. grandiflorus
grows 5 feet high, flowers purple ; L. latifolius , 8 feet, purple ;
L. latifolius albus, 8 feet, white, one of the very best for
covering a mound ; L. mutabilis , purple, changing to red.
The best mode of propagating is by division, but they produce
plenty of seeds, which may be sovra in pots, and the plants
put out where they are to remain when large enough. We
have never known the white everlasting pea come true from
seeds, but it may be multiplied ad infinitum by cuttings.

Lilium (The Lily). — The common white lily is, without
question, the queen of the herbaceous border, and the very
type of the interesting, handsome, hardy herbaceous plants
we are searching for to arrange in this section. Amateurs
who love collecting have here a grand field of operations, for
the species and varieties are numerous, and, for the most part,
equally beautiful and interesting. But for this selection, a
few of the most distinct and showy kinds will suffice, and it
will not be proper to multiply words in proportion to the
importance of the subject, for those we shall select require
but little cultivating, and are above the need of description
and eulogy. All the liliums thrive in peat, and may, there¬
fore, be planted in beds of American plants, to show their
fine flowers amongst the dense leafage of rhododendrons and
azaleas. But they also thrive in deep, rich, mellow, moist
loam, and in no case is it necessary to provide peat beds
for them, or even to use peat when they are grown in pots.

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

141

A poor thin soil, a hot sandy or chalky soil, a peculiarly heavy
and wet clay soil are not suitable for lilies. In the improve¬
ment of the staple for them peat and leaf-mould are capital
agents, but well rotted stable manure is not less desirable ; in
short, liliums are gross feeders, but a kindly mellow, well-
drained soil of some kind is indispensable for them. It is
commonly believed that lilies require shady aspects, but that
is a mistake. Some amount of shade they can endure without
injury, but the full sun is better for them if the soil is deep
and good to afford them a sustaining root-hold. The proper
time to plant is when the growth ceases, and the leaves die
down. Generally speaking, the months of August, Sep¬
tember, and October constitute the season for planting lilies,
and the longer they are kept out of the ground (no matter
how carefully they may be packed), the worse will be their
condition when planted. The fact is, all soft fleshy bulbs
suffer by removal from the ground, and, therefore, when
liliums are transplanted, the site they are to occupy should
be prepared for them before they are lifted if possible, but if
they are to be planted again on the same spot, the work should
be done quickly, and the bulbs be, in the meanwhile, covered
with moist soil to protect them from the destructive influence
of the atmosphere. Generally speaking, they may all be mul¬
tiplied rapidly by division when the leaves die down, and on
a pinch every scale of a bulb will make a plant if inserted
base downwards in a mixture of sand and fine peat, and
assisted for a time with greenhouse culture. But some of the
sorts ripen seeds in plenty, and if the seeds are sown as soon
as ripe in a bed or pan in a cold frame, a good stock of bulbs
may soon be secured. Some of the kinds produce “bulbits,”
or tiny bulbs on the flower-stems, and these, falling on the soil,
take root, and make an increase of stock that may prove a
perplexity to the cultivators. We have in our own garden a
collection of about a hundred species and varieties of liliums,
and some of the plantations are perfectly matted with young*
brood, as if from seed sown broadcast, though all have been
produced from bulbits cast off by the flowering plants.

We shall select eight sorts only. I. auratum , the grandest
of all lilies, is as hardy as the common white ; at all events, it
has survived half a dozen winters on our cold wet soil in the
valley of the Lea, and is quite hardy in nurseries of Messrs.
Paul, of Cheshunt, and at the Hale Farm Nursery, Totten-

142

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

ham. X. lulbijlorum , the well-known orange Illy, is indis¬
pensable. X. candidum is the most useful of all, though apt
to become bare of leaves at the base of the flower-stem ere
its season is over. To prevent this, lift and replant with a
good dressing of manure in August, and give abundance of
the water from the middle of May to the end of June. The
variegated-leaved varieties make fine pot plants. X. choice-
donicum , the scarlet martegon lily, grows three feet, and
produces a grand display of scarlet flowers. X. longiflorum
cannot be left out, though on our cold soil it is nearly extin¬
guished by a hard winter. It grows only two feet high, and

produces elegant funnel-shaped ivory-white flowers. X.
lancifolium , in its several varieties, is quite hardy, but makes
no show as a border plant ; it is, in fact, lost amongst more
showy species. It is, however, one of the best to plant in
front of a rhododendron bed, as the dark green shrubs show
up the elegant light-coloured flowers, and it is also a first-
rate plant for pot culture. X. Tliunbergianum is in the way
of L. bulbiferum, but distinct enough, and there are several

TJ3E AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

143

fine varieties of it worth having, as, for example, fulgens and
venustum. Of L. eoccelsum a psean of praise might be snug.
All we can do is to record that it grows four feet high, and
produces cream-coloured flowers. L. tigrinum completes the
select list ; height 4 feet, flowers fiery salmon red. Several
of the popular kinds, such as the Turk’s-cap and the Pyrenean,
we do not consider worthy of a place in a first-class border,

LILIUM XiANCirOLIUM.

and the little curious liliums that cost ten to twenty shillings
a bulb (we shrink as we call to mind the “ heaps of money ”
we have wasted on such things) are suitable chiefly for little
curious people. In peculiarly favourable spots, L. lancifolium
in variety, L . giganteum , L . tenuifolium , and L. LeicJitlinii

144

THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEN

may Ibe added to enrich, the collection, but they are not hardy
enough for the universal garden.

Lychnis. — The British species that flowers in the hedge¬
rows, almost outshine the best that belong to the garden. Still
we must have a few, and grow them in moist light loam, in
positions half shady. To multiply the best of them, cuttings
of the flower-sterns and division of the roots must be resorted
to, but the least choice can be obtained from seeds. L. aljpina
is a charming little rock plant, with pink flowers ; L. chalce-
donica , 3 feet, flowers scarlet ; the double variety better
than the single ; the white variety worthless. The double
variety of L.jlos cnculi is a charming plant, both white and
red worth growing. L. fulgens is well known for its fine
head of dazzling scarlet flowers. The double form of L.
viscaria is also a first-rate border plant.

Lystmachia. — The pretty “ moneywort,” or “ Creeping
Jenny,” L. nummular ia , is a capital plant for a shady, damp
corner, and to plant on an old tree-stump, or on the edge of
a vase. There is a golden-leaved variety good enough for a
bedding plant. L. thyrsijlora and L. verticulata are good rustic
plants for damp, shady borders.

Lythrum. — The lovely purple panicles of L. salicaria ,
rising from a watery nook or margin of a stream, have a
peculiarly charming effect in autumn. The plant may, how¬
ever, be grown in the border, if a moist, deep soil can be
provided for it.

Meconopsis. — A near relation of the poppy, handsome and
interesting. The species are few in number and peculiar in
constitution. They will prosper best in light sandy loam and
partial shade. M. cambrica , 1 foot, flowers pale yellow, is a
fine plant. M. Wallichi, 3 feet, flowers pale blue, is a re¬
markably fine plant, difficult to grow, and probably a biennial.
M. Nepalensis , 5 feet, flowers yellow, two or three inches in
diameter. If tractable, this will prove one of the grandest
of herbaceous plants. Those who dwell in the better climates
of Britain, and have deep sandy or calcareous soils to deal
with, should look after the species of Meconopsis as likely to
prove of great value in the flower.

Mimulus (Monkey-flower). — These are all lovers of a
moist, rich soil, and do well in shady situations ; provided
they are not heavily overhung by trees, they increase fast
enough for ordinary purposes by the spread of their roots,

•THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN-.

145

but may also be multiplied by cuttings. M. cardinalis is a
fine plant, with scarlet flowers ; LSI. cupreus is a little gem,
with copper-coloured flowers ; M. luteus , the yellow monkey
flower, is a favourite of the cottage gardener ; its varieties are
numerous. JSL moschatus is the Musk plant, which only needs
to be planted in some shady nook, to run wild and become
one of the best u weeds ” of the garden.

Muscari (Grape Hyacinth). — This beautiful group of
plants is far too little known, and we trust many a reader of
this note who has hitherto paid no attention to the grape
hyacinths, will determine henceforth to be just to their merits.
They may be grown in any ordinary garden soil, and will do
equally well in sun or shade. It is desirable to lift and replant
every three years. JSL. botryoides produces lovely spikes of
sky-blue flowers, sis to nine inches long ; JSL. comosum pro¬
duces purple flowers. A remarkable variety of this species is

146

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

pretty well known as the Feather Hyacinth; its flower-spikes
are like marabout feathers. M. racemosum is a capital early-
flowering kind, with deep purplish flowers.

Myosotis (Forget-me-not). — Though, few in number, and
most humble in character, the garden is a blank that contains
no forget-me-nots. Since “ spring bedding ” has been in
vogue they have been in great request for their early display
of myriads of light-blue flowers, and the introduction of a
few newish and extremely beautiful varieties, which, until of
late were known to botanists only, lias given quite a peculiar
fillip to forget-me-not culture. As garden plants, they are
short-lived, and perhaps have a better claim to a place in a
chapter on annuals than in one on perennials . However, they
are perennials; but those who would enjoy a perennial dis¬
play of their charming flowers must propagate annually by
seeds, or cuttings, or divisions of the root, and plant all out
afresh in new, mellow, moist soil. If. azorica is certainly the
best for the border, being hardy, comparatively robust, flowers
at first reddish, afterwards deep blue. M. dissitiflora (syn.
M. montana) is a most valuable species for early flowers, but
“ miffy,” and therefore needing perpetual renewal. For
growing in pots in the alpine house it is the best of all.
M. palustris , the British forget-me-not, is too weedy for the
border ; but wherever there is a brook or half waste tract of
marshy land, it should be planted, unless nature has taken
care to locate it there already.

Narcissus. — As these can be grown anywhere, in sun or
shade, in rich or poor soil, and multiply fast enough by the
spread of their roots, we shall content ourselves with a selec¬
tion simply. If it is desired to raise plants from seed, the
proper course is to sow as soon as ripe, and grow in frames
the first season. Then store away the dry bulbs until October,
and plant where they are to flower. From the varieties of
the Polyanthus Narciss, JV. tazetta , we select as the best,
Sulphurine , yellow and orange ; Glorious , white and yellow ;
Sir Isaac Neivton , gold yellow and orange ; Golden Beauty ,
yellow and orange ; Grand Prince , white and lemon yellow ;
Grand Soleil , deep yellow and orange. The double and single
Jonquils, N. jonquilla, are eminently desirable, both for beauty
and fragrance. The Poet’s Narciss, N. poeticus , is delight¬
fully fragrant, and its hardy and adaptive nature renders it
suitable to plant in quantity in the shrubbery, and in the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

147

wilder parts of the grounds. The Daffodil, N. 'pseudo-
narcissus is well known, and by no means to be despised, and
is the more worthy of mention here because it offers a few
splendid varieties, such as Bicolor , Major , and Minor , which are
distinct in character, and admirably adapted to form inte¬
resting clumps in the shade of trees. W. bulbocodium, the
“ hoop petticoat,” is an extremely pretty diminutive kind.
N. juncifolius, the “ rush-leaved ” narciss, is an exquisitely
beautiful miniature plant, adapted for the front of a rockery,
and well worthy of pot- culture.

(Enothera (Evening Primrose). — The common evening
primrose is but a poor representative of this fine family of showy,
hardy, fragrant, interesting plants. The best herbaceous kinds
will grow in almost any soil or situation, but thrive best in a
light dry loam in full exposure to the sunshine. If, however,
the soil is wet and cold they may be treated as biennials, for
they make abundance of seed, and only need the most ordinary
frame cultivation until the season arrives for planting them
out. CE. JDrummondi is a neat downy plant, with bright yellow
flowers ; on a warm soil long-lived, on a cold soil it soon dies
away, and must be kept up by means of seeds or cuttings.
CE. Fraser i , a neat plant, two feet high, producing abundance
of bright yellow flowers. On our cold soil it stands well, and
is one of our favourites for the plunging system. QC. macro -
carjpa is a very showy and peculiar-looking plant, producing
large yellow flowers. It requires a dry warm soil to stand
its ground. CE . marginata , 9 inches, flowers white and fragrant,
stands well on any soil. CE. taraxacifolia is in leafage like a
dandelion ; its large pure white, or pale yellow flowers are
plentifully produced all the summer long, being in perfection
soon after sunset.

Pjeonia (The Pseony Pose). — Gaudy, scentless, and short¬
lived are all the pasonies, yet no one who has seen a good
plantation of the best sorts in flower would be in haste to
exclude them from the select list of the handsomest and
hardiest of herbaceous plants. When well-grown, every
separate plant will form a mass of herbage equal in breadth
to an ordinary flower-bed, or say, two or three yards across,
and will produce forty or fifty flowers, each about the size of
a man’s head, borne on stout stems four or five feet high.
They will live and flower in any soil, and in deep shade, and
the worst place in a town garden will afford them a sub-

148

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

sistence ; but a deep rich moist loam, or a well-manured
clay, and a full exposure to the sun, are the conditions that
just suit them. A great clump of pseonies (of such sorts as
we shall presently select) on a lawn near a pond, would make
a sensational effect in the month of June, more especially if
started with the help of a lot of manure, and kept going by
the aid of an annual top-dressing put on in October. As any
mite of a pseony root will soon make a plant, it is not needful
to say much about propagating. The proper time to lift and
plant large roots is from August to October, but pot-plants
from nurseries should be put out in spring, and have abun¬
dance of water the first season.

The Herbaceous pseony is one of the hardiest plants in
our gardens ; not so its near relative, the Tree pseony, or
Moutan, which is usually regarded as requiring the shelter of
glass, and, under the best of circumstances, a most difficult
plant to grow. The tree peeony is one of the many early-
growing plants that suffer from keen east winds in a late
spring ; and hence, while it requires an open position, far away
from walls and the shade of trees, it requires also the assist¬
ance of distant shelter, and a deep, rather dry, but ex¬
ceedingly rich soil, and to be liberally aided with water all the
summer.

LEST EIGHTEEN HERBACEOUS P2E0NIES.

Alba mutabilis , Amabilis grandiflorct , Antwerpiensis , Comte
de Paris , Duchesse d’ Orleans, Fdulis superba , General, Ber¬
trand , Lilacina superba , Mathilde, Milbourni, Nivea plenissima,
Pio Nono , Queen Victoria , Peine Hortense , Posea plenissima
superba, Tenuifolia flore-plena, Van Geert , Virginalis.

Pansy. — Exhibition pansies are grown in open beds of rich
deep soil. The best time to plant is during September and
October. Just before they come into bloom, they should have
a top-dressing of rotten manure. (For border cultivation, see
page 78.)

BEST FORTY SHOW PANSIES.

Selfs : Arab , Cherub , Dr. P. Lee , Finale , George Keith , Im¬
perial Prince , Locomotive , Miss Pamsay , Miss Muir , Ophire,
Pev. II. II. Dombrain , Snowdrop , Virgo, W. Forbes .

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

149

Yellow Ground : Adam Scott , A, Whamond , A. Smith ,
Captain Sheriff, George Wemyss , George Wilson , John Baillie ,
/. B. Bownie , John Boiunie , John Currie , Brince of Wales,
liev. J. Virtue , Thomas Martin, Victor, W. Martin .

White Ground : Cupid, Lady Lucy JDundas, Lavinia, Miss
Addison, Miss M. Carnegie , Mrs. A. Buchanan, Mrs. H. Max -
well, Mrs. Galloway, Mrs. HopJcins, Princess of Wales 9 The
Queen.

BEST THIRTY FANCY PANSIES.

Avoca, Black Prince , JDewdrop, Pole, Bari of Bosslyn,
Hugh TV. Adair, Indigo, Lady Montgomery , Maccaroni , Mag-
nificent, Miss M. Mather , Miss J. Kay , Mrs. Adair, Mrs. Laird ,
Mrs. B. Bean, Mrs. Shirley Hibberd , Jtfrs. JL Northcote , Magda¬
lene Tweedie , Major Mack ay, Miss C. Arbuthnot, Miss F. Hope,
Pandora, Peter Campbell, Princess Mathilda, Bev. J. Bobertson,
Striped Queen, Sunrise, Wonderful, William Hay, William Baird.

Papaver (Poppy). — Only a few of these are worth mention.
They must have plenty of room on a dry sunny border, and
they will be gorgeous enough, but short-lived. P. bracteafum9
3 feet, flowers scarlet, is extravagantly showy. P. alpinum, a
pretty little plant with yellow flowers, may have a dry sunny
place in the front of the border. P. pilosum , 18 inches, flowers
orange or brick-red, is also adapted for a dry sunny position.

Pentstemon. — Once more we light upon a splendid group
of hardy plants, which are not well appreciated, because
usually regarded as tender. It is true the garden varieties
employed in bedding are apt to perish in winter on damp
cold soils, but there are a few really hardy and most beautiful
species and varieties to be found, and those that are not quite
hardy may be kept on from seeds as soon as ripe, and the
plants wintered in frames, and from cuttings made and kept
in the same way as calceolarias, but as early in September as
they can be obtained from the plants. Full exposure to sun¬
shine is one of the first necessities of the pentstemon, and a
deep, mellow, rich soil is scarcely less important. P. barbatus ,
3 feet, with scarlet flowers, and P. Torreyi, a robust form of
barbatus, are two of the best. P. cobcea , 3 feet, flowers varie¬
gated, needs to be kept on by means of cuttings, as it too
often perishes in the winter. P. Pendleri , 1 foot, flowers light

150

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

purple, quite hardy. P. glaber, 1 foot, deep blue. P. procerus.
a trailing species with blue flowers, makes a fine tuft on a
sunny ledge of a rockery. P . speciosus , 3 feet, flowers bright
blue, hardy and handsome.

BEST THIRTY PENTSTEMONS.

Agnes Laing , Pons. Villa geois, Arthur Hardy, George
Avner, Arthur Sterry, Azure a elegans, Baroness Sempill , Can¬
didate, Colin Bell , Harry King , James Forrest, James Boths-
child , Grandis , John Pow , Lady Boswell, Magenta, Miss Car¬
negie, Miss Hay, Mrs. M. Binning, Miss Baillie, Mrs. A. Sterry,
Novelty, Painted Lady, Purple Perfection , Purple King, Queen
Victoria, Pev. C. P. Peach, Posy Gem, Shirley Hibberd , Stan-
ctead Pival , Sunrise , TV. K. Gambleton.

Phlox. — The immense number of varieties of phloxes in
cultivation is evidence enough of the esteem in which they
are held. They make sumptuous beds for autumnal display,
and are unequalled for highly- dressed borders, and about the
best of all known herbaceous plants to mix with roses, as
they come into bloom as the roses give up for the season, and
take our attention away from the jaded aspect of the queen
of flowers. The garden phloxes, which have descended from
P. sujfruticosa and P. pyramidalis, are the phloxes par excellence.
They are a most accommodating group of plants, for they
will make a grand bloom on a poor soil, and last for years,
becoming in time huge bushes that make a wonderful show
in the late summer and autumn months. The wTay to grow
them to perfection, however, is to renew the stock annually
or biennially by means of cuttings, planting the newly-rooted
pieces, in April, in rich deep loam well prepared for their
reception some time previously, and giving water copiously,
to promote vigorous growth until the plants come into flower.
The stems are, of course, carefully staked as they rise, and
the trusses are thinned to promote the production of large
flowers. As to hardiness, the phloxes stand well on our
heavy, moist land, where severe winters kill tritomas, holly¬
hocks, and pentstemons wholesale, therefore we may describe
them as thoroughly hardy.

Amongst the more specific forms of phloxes, apart from
the named varieties, the following deserve especial notice
as first-rate hardy border plants : — P. canadensis , grows 9

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 151

inches to 1 foot high, the flowers are purplish lilac, produced
in abundance in April and May ; a first-rate border plant.
P. frondosa , a dwarf spreading plant, with pink flowers in
April and May, very neat and pretty. P. reptans is a true
alpine plant in habit, that will grow anywhere ; and if the
air is only moderately pure, thrives through the winter on
damp soils. It produces an abundance of pretty purplish
pink flowers in April. This is the P. verna of trade cata¬
logues. P. setaceco and P. subulatcc are small neat-growing
plants, with bristly leaves, wiry stems, and pink flowers.
They do not stand the winter well on damp soils, but are
good hardy plants, needing only a dry, open situation to
make a most welcome addition to the flora of the spring.

BEST TWENTY EARLY- FLOWERING PHLOXES.

Adam Thomson , Duchess of Hamilton , Duchess of Suther¬
land , George Goodall , Her Majesty , James Laing , James Neils on,
John Watson , Lady Abercromby , Lady Boss, Lewis Kidd , Airs.
Austin , Airs. Laing , Mrs. Hunter , Airs. Murray , Airs. Thom ,
Princess of Wales , Robert Hannay, The Deacon , William Shand.

BEST THIRTY-SIX LATE-FLOWERING PHLOXES.

Aurantiaca sujperbct, Adelina Patti , Comtesse de GJiambord ,
Comtesse de la Pannouse , Duke of Sutherland , Dr. Leroy , Etoile
de Neuilly, Geant des Batcdlles , John Laing , Liervalli , Madame
Homage , Madlle. Aubert Turenne , Madame Thibaut, Madame
Andry , Madame Darillet , Aladame A . Ver s chaff elt, Madame
Alarie Saison , Madame Boempler , Alajor Stewart , Mows. IF.
Pull , Alons. Malet , Alons. Veitcli , Mons. H. Low , Mons. Marin
Saison , Alons. C. Turner , Alons. Linden , Alons. G. Henderson ,
Premices du Ponheur , Professor Koch , Pc^ des Roses , Queen
Victoria , Souvenir des Femes , Souvenir de Soultzmatt , Virgo
Alarie , IF. Blackwood .

Pink. — See Dianthus, page 116.

Polyanthus. — As a border plant, Primula elatior is of the
easiest growth imaginable. Plant at any time, if the plants
are in pots ; but if taken up from the open ground, the best
time is immediately after the fierce heat of summer has
begun to decline, and before autumnal frosts set in. A deep,
rich, moist loam, and a partially shaded position, are con¬
ditions favourable to this charming flower. The heat of

152

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN,

summer tries it much, unless it enjoys some amount of shade
and regular supplies of water. To obtain stock of named

laokd polyanthus.

Sorts, divide and replant in August. To raise seedling plants,
sow the seed in summer, as soon as ripe, or early in March,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

153

and in either case grow the plants in a frame nntil large enough
to plant out. Self-sown seedlings occur abundantly in the
border where plants have flowered, and may be planted out
in September or October. It is an important matter in
managing the seed-pans not to allow the soil to become dry,
for that is fatal to the germination of the seed. The varieties
most prized are those with laced flowers, the ground colour
being dark crimson, maroon, or black, and the lacing con¬
sisting of regular marginal bands of various shades of yellow
or orange. The named varieties grown in pots for exhibition
are of this class. The “ giant ” polyanthus are the most
showy for the border and the parterre, being of all colours,
and in many cases extremely beautiful. The following distinct
varieties are particularly desirable : — Double yellow , hose-in -
hose, double ivhile, and golden plover.

Polygonatum (Solomon’s Seal). — The common P. multi -
forum will thrive in the shady border in the worst of soil,
where scarcely any other plant can live, provided it is planted
with a little care in the first instance, and then left undis¬
turbed for years. The variegated-leaved variety, P. m. fob
var., is exquisitely beautiful, and is much grown as a forced
plant for exhibition. Easily increased by division when
beginning to grow, in spring.

Potentilla (Cinquefoil). — A few of these claim notice on
account of their showy flowers, but the genus is, as a whole,
of comparatively small importance. The best, however, are
but a short while gay, and all of them tend to untidiness in
their mode of growth. Plant in the full sun ; any good soil
will do. P. atrosanguinea is a fine plant, with deep crimson
flowers. P. Nepalensis has scarlet or purplisli-red flowers.
Several fine hybrids of these have been obtained, the best of
which are Aurora plena, Grandiflora coccinea , Perfecta plena ,
Sudbury Gem , William Rollison , Aurantiaca.

Primula. — Under Auricula, and Polyanthus, and Prim¬
rose, three sections of this genus have been disposed of apart
from the present selection of distinctive species. The alpine
primulas are well adapted for border culture, if care be taken
to plant them in damp shady spots, on mellow, gritty soil,
elevated somewhat above the general level. Some few of
them, however, must be grown under glass to be safe, and
for such the alpine house or frame is the proper home. In
any case, whether planted out or in pots, it is of the first

154

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

importance that the plants be sufficiently protected from
stagnant moisture by good drainage, and that they have
abundance of water in the growing season, and shade from
the fierce mid-day summer sun. P. cortusoides is one of the
best, and a true border plant. The leaves are heart-shaped,
light green, the flowers deep rose. A sandy loam suits it
well, and it is more likely to last out the winter on a rockery
than in a common border, because impatient of damp, but it
may be deluged with water all the summer to its advantage.
P. c. amoena is a variety of the last, with larger flowers, varying
in colour from delicate lilac and rosy red to the purest white.
Figures of two fine varieties of this primula were published
in the Floral World of August, 1871. P. denticulcda , with
toothed hairy leaves, and small lilac flowers, is a beauty to
grow in a gritty mixture of peat, loam, and sand on a well*
drained shady part of the rockery. P. farinosa , with leaves
densely powdered with meal, and lovely rosy lilac flowers,
requires the same treatment as the last ; as does also P. minima, ,
a little gem with rosy flowers, which soon forms a precious
tuft on a rockery. P. intermedia comes near to the auricula
in character. It will do well in the border, if safe from
stagnant moisture in winter. P. marginal a has a pretty tuft
of dusted leaves and pale lilac flowers. In constitution it is
like denticulata. These are all that we can venture to include
in the list, for other and equally beautiful species are so
impatient of the inevitable moisture of our winters, that
they must be grown in frames or alpine houses. Those
we have recommended may be increased by parting the
roots, and they will shed plenty of seed, which will germinate
without attention, and surround the parent plants with a
numerous progeny.

Primrose. — Of the common primrose we shall say nothing.
Let those who love it not quickly expatriate themselves from
this land, or at least put down this book. The common
primrose can take care of itself ; not so the uncommon
primroses, of which we shall strongly recommend a few as
absolutely indispensable to the border. It is the simple
truth that the very choice varieties of primrose are beautiful
beyond compare in their season, and an amateur who loves his
garden, and has none of these charming plants, is like the
philosopher in the sinking boat. (You know the story.) To
grow these precious pets, find a half shady spot on a good

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

155

border, and plant the sorts and leave them alone. That is,
indeed, all yon need do. But if your soil is arid, and your
climate hot, you must keep the plants well fed all summer
with weak liquid manure, or with soft water of some sort ;
if from a ditch or pond all the better, as mayhap there will
be something in it, for pure water is but poor food for plants.
To obtain stock part and replant in August and September ;
but, before doing so, give the plants a chance to spread, and
make fine tufts, and show what they are. The following are
so delightfully fresh, and distinct, and lovely, that, without
any apology for the imperative mood, we plainly say you must
have them : — Single and double lilac , single and double purgole,
single and double rose , single and double white , single and double
red , single and double yellow , single and double orange. Here
are twelve sorts in all, that may be purchased in good plants,
at from sixpence to a shilling each, but as one of them, the
single yellow, may be found on the nearest hedgerow bank,
there is sixpence saved, which we beg you to spend on another
plant of the double red, for when in flower the plant is as like
a prize bouquet as a fanciful eye could desire.

Pyrethrum (Feverfew). — The white-flowering “feverfew”
is sufficiently well known ; as a bedding plant scarcely fit for
gardens, but of the greatest value in parks and great rough
places, where its tall weedy growth does not detract from
its value as a plentiful producer of white flowers. Less
popular, however, though more deserving of popularity, are
the varieties of P. roseum , which offer us the most beautiful
of all the flowers of May in the hardy herbaceous border.
As, of course, many readers will not, for lack of actual
knowledge, understand our estimate of their value, it may be
well to say that the garden pyrethrum provides us at the
dawn of summer with just such flowers as the asters furnish
at the summer’s close. Flowers quilled, anemone-centred,
and variously formed and coloured, as asters are, with the
advantage of hardiness, for they are as “ hard as nails,” and
not even a damp soil hurts them seriously. To grow these
fine plants to perfection, a good old garden soil is required,
with plenty of manure, and liberal supplies of water in dry
weather. The autumn is the best time to plant them ; but
if they are purchased in pots, they may be planted at any
time, except in the depth of winter. They are easily in¬
creased by division in August, or seed sown in a slight hot-

15G

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

bed in February, or in a cold frame in April. As the best
named varieties are cheap, the amateur will do better to
obtain a good collection, and increase them by division, for
seeds, however good the flowers from which they were ob¬
tained, invariably produce a large proportion of poor progeny.

The only pyrethrums, in addition to the varieties of
P. roseum, that are worth a place in the border are the
double-flowering P. parthenium, and the large single white
P. uliginosum .

BEST EIGHTEEN PYRETHRUMS.

Album roseum , Candidum plenum , Emily Lemoine , Herr¬
mann Stenger , Imperatrice Charlotte, Laciniatum plenum ,
Madlle. Bonamy , Michel Buchner , Monsieur Barral , Monsieur
Calot, Mont Blanc , Nemesis , Paul Journu , Princess de Metier -
mc7i, Purple Prince , Poseum bicolor , Pubrum plenum , The -
misteri.

Ranunculus (Buttercup). — Although “bachelors’ buttons”
are old favourites, we really cannot recommend any of the

proper border ranuncu¬
luses, because of their
coarse, weedy character,
though we must confess
a liking for the double
varieties of P. bidhosus
and P. bullatus, which
the reader may elect, if
he or she likes them.
The florists’ ranuncu¬
luses, descended from P .
asiatica , scarcely belong
to the border, but we
dare not ignore such
splendid hardy plants,
and so we will endeavour
to do justice to them in
a short paragraph. The
highest eulogy we can pronounce upon them is, that they are
the most perfect of all florists’ flowers in symmetry of form
and perfection of colouring, and they are thoroughly hard}^
well-behaved plants, adapted for any good border. The cul-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

157

ti vation is tlie same as the anemone, but whereas that requires
a rather light soil, this requires a firm, well-holding loam.
They will, however, grow side by side in the same bed, in the
most friendly manner, in any good garden soil that is well
drained and prepared with proper care. Plant the tubers in
the first week of February, or as soon after as possible, in
drills two inches deep and five inches apart, the tubers five
inches apart in the drill. As soon as the plants push through
clear the ground of weeds, and tread it well between the rows.
Protect from frost as long as may be needful, and while dry
weather prevails, give water regularly until the flowering is
over, when watering must cease. Take up the roots when
the leaves have turned brown, dry them in a room or shed,
but not in the sun, and store away in bags or boxes.

BEST FORTY-EIGHT RANUNCULUS.

Apollo , Ann Hathaway, Alexis , Beritola , Commodore Napier ,
Coronation , Cedo Nulli, Camper down, Delectus , Dr. Horner ,
Fliza,Fva, Fupatoria, Best us, Gomer , Goldfinder, Herald, Hora¬
tio, Indicator, Jenny Mel drum, Kilgour s Princess, Lord Gough,
Lord Berners, Marquis of Hereford , Melancthon, Miss Forbes ,
Miriam, Mackenzie, Mrs. Guir, Melpomene, Miranda, Mrs.
Trahar , Naxara, Orange Brabangon, Orissa, Playfair, Pertinax,
Pelopidas, Princess Louisa, Prince Albert , Quilla Filla, Pose
Incomparable, Pubro magnificans , Sir W. Hoste , Sabina, Sophia ,
Sir Philip Broke, Venus .

Rudbeckia. — A small group of showy asteraceous flowers,
which make a good appearance in sunny situations in the
undressed grounds in autumn, but are too coarse for a first-
rate border. The best are : P. hirta, 2 feet, yellow ; P.
laciniata, 3 feet, deep yellow ; P . Newmanni, 3 feet, yellow
and black ; P. subtomentosa , 3 feet, yellow.

Saponaria (Soap wort). — A small group of alpine plants,
one of which, S. ocymoides, is employed for massing, on account
of its profuse production of lively pink flowers in the spring.
It requires a dry soil, and is admirably adapted for rockwork.
To increase the stock, take cuttings when the plants are
growing freely, or divide the roots in August. S. officinalis
is adapted for rough places, but not for the select border, as
it spreads its roots so fast as to become a nuisance.

Saxifeaga (Saxifrage). — This immensely large, various.

158

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and beautiful family must be “ broken up 99 for present con¬
sideration. A considerable number are true al pines, that
need peculiar treatment ; others are fast-growing, and accom¬
modating, tufty border plants that boar rough usage, and
almost refuse to die, though badly treated ; and all of them
are good rockery plants, that love partial shade and a deep
root-hold in gritty loam, where water cannot possibly stagnate.
They may all be increased by division of the roots, and by
seeds sown in a cold frame in spring. In selecting, we shall
begin with the large-leaved kinds, and recommend for the
border, but more especially for hillocks and rustic knolls, 8.
crassifolia , which has broad and oval dark green leaves and
massive spikes of lilac flowers. 8. jpurjoicrascens is a finer
plant, but scarce ; the leaves are large and lustrous, the
flowers purple. 8. ciliata is of smaller growth than the pre¬
ceding ; the leaves are hairy, the flowers white suffused with
pink. This large-leaved section is by some authors separated
from saxifraga under the generic distinction Megasea.

The best species of medium growth for borders are the
following: — 8. Andrew sii , with tongue- shaped leaves and
conspicuous teeth, and flowers that somewhat resemble those
of the London Pride. 8. ceratojpJiylla , intense green in
leafage, and graceful panicles of snow-white flowers. S. geum
has kidney-shaped leaves, and beautiful white or pink flowers.
The double variety of 8. granulata is a splendid border plant.
Lastly, this section would be incomplete if we omitted 8.
umbrosa, the London Pride, one of the most accommodating
plants in the world, and one of the most elegant.

Amongst the smaller tufted-growing species, the best for
ordinary purposes are S. ccesjpitosa , which forms close cushions
of emerald green leafage ; the flowers are white ; a moist
position is one of its chief necessities. 8. liypioides is truly
moss-like in growth, and the best of the cushion-growing
kinds, as it will grow almost anywhere, if the situation is
moist and a little shaded.

When the cultivator has become accustomed to the ways
and wants of this interesting family, many more fine species
may be added to the collection, such as 8. ojojpositifolia , 8.
cotyledon , 8. hirsutus , 8. diajpensioides , and S. aizoon; bub
none of these are to be recommended for the mixed border.

Scilla (Squill). — The best border plant in this genus is
8. nutans , the nodding squill, the Hyacinthus non-scriptus of

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

150

some botanists; the “blue-bell” hyacinth of the observant
rustic. This plant will grow in any soil or situation, as its
frequent appearance in splendid trim in damp and dark town
gardens proves. It is certainly one of the best of wildings to
introduce in wilderness walks and woodland scenes. There
are several varieties, all of them good, comprising white, pink,
flesh-coloured, and deep blue flowers. There are many more
pretty squills in cultivation, and a few of them are employed
for massing in the parterre. The best for general use are — ■
S. sibinca , azure blue ; 8. bifolia , deep blue ; and 8. b. Candida ,
a white-flowering variety of the last.

Sedum (Stonecrop). — From this hardy and useful genus
the amateur may select almost at random, with the certainty
of obtaining plants worth a place in any garden. Our old
friend, 8. acre , the com¬
mon stonecrop, offers one
of the best garments
wherewith to clothe a
sunny knoll, or to make
a close mat-like edging
on a somewhat dry soil.

There is a remarkably
beautiful variety of it,
adapted for the spring
garden, called S . a. au-
reum ; its peculiarity is,
that from Christmas to
the end of May, the
points of the shoots are of
a bright gold yellow, pro¬
ducing almost as gay a
effect as if the plant for nearly six months continuously was
covered with flowers. 8. rhodiola , the “ roseroot,” has a dis¬
tinctive character which fits it for the border. 8. spurium is a
first-rate border and rock plant; the leaves are roundish and
flat, fringed with transparent hairs, the flowers in loose corymbs
of a bright rose colour. S. telephium , or orpine, is another
good one, though common ; when in flower, a great mass of
it has a fine appearance. 8. fabaria or 8. sjpectabilis — the
latter being the more correct name — is a large-leaved glaucous
plant, growing freely in a bold tuft like a shrub, and pro¬
ducing fine heads of pale pink flowers in October. Neither

'4mm

Will ’'I'"

SEDUM SPURIUM.

1G0

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

drought, nor damp, nor shade, nor frost ever harm this plant ;
but it likes a sunny aspect and a good sandy loam. 8. Sieboldii
is a most elegant creeping plant, with glaucous leaves set in
threes on arching whip-like stems; the flowers pink in Sep¬
tember. In gardens where snails abound, it is simply im¬
possible to keep this plant. It is a first-rate basket plant

for a sunny greenhouse, and the variegated-leaved variety is
even more handsome than the species.

Sempervivijm (Houseleek). — There need not be much said
about the sempervivums, for they themselves will teach any
one how to grow them. They are at once interesting and
beautiful plants for sunny knolls, rockeries, roofs, walls, and

THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN. 1G1

for edging flower-beds. It must not be supposed that they
can live on nothing, though it is true they can get fab on
short commons In planting houseleek to adorn the roof of
a shed, or the turret of an imaginary castle in an artificial
ruin, something must be provided for it to live on, and there

SEMPERVIVUM ARACHNOIDES

can be nothing better than a mixture of fresh cowdung and
good loam, smashed up together into a sort of putty. This
can be laid in a heap where the plant is to be placed, and it will
not slide, even from a rather steep slope. Insert the crowns
with as much stem and roots as can be got, and fix hem in

162

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

their places with hits of brick or stone pressed in beside them.
The work is done, and you may rest from your labours for ten
years at least. S. arachnoideum forms an elegant tuft, covered
with white threads, as if enveloped in cobwebs ; the flowers
are purplish pink. S. ccdifornicum is the best for bedding,
the leaves are dark green, tipped with brown. The offsets
should be taken off in August, and potted in sandy soil, and
wintered in a light dry pit for next year’s use. 8. hirtum
is a close-growing hairy plant, producing myriads of white
flowers, which the honey-bees will never leave while daylight
lasts. 8. montanum, producing purplish pink flowers, is another
favourite with the bees. 8. tectorum is the “ houseleek” of
the cottage roof, a good old homely plant that the heart will
not willingly let die, though, for the matter of that, it is
privileged with a thousand years’ lease of its life, and will
stoically defy a few kicks and scofnngs : —

Oh, such be life’s journey, and such be our skill,

To lose in its blessings the sense of its ill ;

Through sunshine and shower, may our progress be even,

And our tears add a charm to the prospect of heaven !

Silene (Catchfly). — These plants require a rich sandy
loam and a pure air, and some amount of attention in the
way of cultivation. As for multiplication, it is no vexation,
for they produce seed in plenty, and cuttings of those with
trailing stems can be struck in the summer with the greatest
ease imaginable. 8. acaulis grows in cushion-like tufts, the
flowers reddish purple or pink. There is a white variety ;
both are good rockery plants. 8. aljpestris produces a lovely
sheet of white flowers in May and June, and is well adapted
for bedding purposes. A dry sandy soil, and the most free
exposure to all the winds of heaven, are necessary to its
vrell-doing. 8. Jimbriata , growing 2 feet high, and producing
panicles of inflated white flowers, is a good border-plant. The
double variety of S. maritima is a lovely plant for rockeries, if
it can have a moist sandy soil. It is also a good bedding plant
in a soil suited to its constitution. It grows about four inches
high, and the flowers are pure white. 8. sehafta is one of the
best for any and every purpose ; a good border, rock, and
bedding plant, nine inches high, producing reddish purple
flowers in June and July.

Sisyrinchium. — A small group of interesting little irids

SPIR/EA P A L M AT A.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

163

that require a light deep dry loam, or a good sandy peat. 8 .
mierps , flowers bright blue, and 8. grandiflorum , reddish
purple, are the best for the border.

iSMiLACiNA.— A sweet little gem is S. bifolia , requiring to
be treated the same as lily of the valley, to which it is nearly
related. It is invaluable for bouquets.

Solidago (Golden Rod).- — These coarse-growing plants
must not be ignored. S. rigida is the best, and quite worth
having for its golden flowers in September. 8. altissima , 6
feet high, is a good plant for the shrubbery.

Spirjea (Garland Flower). — All the herbaceous species are
worth a place in the garden, and all require a deep moist
loam, a few of them being amphibious plants that should
always have their feet in cold water. 8. aruncus , 4 feet,
creamy white flowers, one of the best for margins of streams
and moist woods. 8. filipmdula , a most elegant fern-like
plant ; the double variety is good enough for any border. 8.
xenusta is a grand plant, with deep rose-coloured flowers. 8 .
palmetto, is a very new and very grand herbaceous plant, as
may be judged by the lively figure cf it in the Floral
World of February, 1869, height 2 to 3 feet, flowers rich
deep crimson. 8. ulmaria is the proper “meadow-sweet,” a
delightfully fragrant rustic plant, with flowers like foam.
“ Everybody knows it ” as an inhabitant of river-sides. The
variety with yellow variegation is a good garden plant.

Statice (Sea Lavender). — A few fine hardy plants are to
be found in this genus, and we first of all recommend 8. loti -
folia as a showy accommodating plant, the leafage and flowers
of which will be prized for distinctiveness of character.

Symphitum (Comfrey). — The plants of this family are
showy, but coarse. A good loamy soil will suit them all.
8. bohemicum , 2 feet, flowers brilliant crimson, a fine plant of
its kind. 8. caucasicum , 2 feet, purple, handsome. 8. offici¬
nalis is the common comfrey, a coarse plant, worthy of atten¬
tion for planting in damp woods, and by the side of streams,
and also for its value as fodder. The variegated-leaved variety
is one of the finest plants of its class for pot-culture.

Thalictrum (Meadow-rue). — An unimportant genus, but
any or all of which may be planted in capacious borders with
the certainty of proving interesting. T. aguilegifolium , 4
feet, flowers creamy white ; a good border plant. T. ane -
monoides , 1 foot, flowers white, graceful, and loving shade

1G4

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and moisture. T.jlavum , 3 feet, flowers yellow ; a fine showy
species, suited for the wilderness and shrubbery. T. minus
is almost as elegant in leafage as the Maidenhair fern ; and a
new variety, named T. m. adiantifolm , carries the similitude
beyond the species.

Tigridia (Tiger-flower). — These ephemeral flowers are so
gorgeous in colouring, that we must bestow a few words upon
their cultivation, with a view to direct the reader in the right
path to an enjoyment of tigridias as they ought to be. To do
justice to the flower, a bed should be prepared for it, consist¬
ing of good loam enriched with leaf-mould and hotbed manure,
and the texture tempered with a sufficiency of sand to ren¬
der it like potting compost. Plant the bed with bulbs of T.
pavonia , four inches apart, in the last week of March ; keep
the beds clear of weeds, give plenty of water in dry weather,
and, when winter returns, lay a covering of litter on the bed,
and fix it by means of a few withes and short stakes. The
bulbs should not be disturbed more than once in seven years
at least, and then they should be taken up, separated, and
replanted in March in soil as well prepared as in the first
instance. In a wet soil the roots must be planted annually,
but they will never flower with the grandeur of those left for
several years undisturbed. T. conchiflora is a remarkably fine
plant, not so well suited to grow in beds as T. jpavonia , but
first-rate for pots.

Tradescaktia (Spider- wort). — The varieties of T. vir-
ginica , about a dozen in number, are good border plants,
which should be left undisturbed many years. They like a
rich soil, and endure patiently damp and shade. Their
peculiar and elegant outlines fit them for nooks in the
rockery, and to fill odd places where a mass of something
distinct is needed. Divide in spring.

Triteleia. — A small genus of pretty white-flowered lilia¬
ceous plants. T. uniflora is the best, and will grow anywhere.
Plant in autumn, and leave undisturbed three or four years.
Though extremely elegant, the flowers are not good for cut¬
ting, in consequence of the garlic odour they emit.

Tritoma (Torch Lily, or Red-hot-poker Plant). — This
magnificent plant is one of the cheapest and most accommo¬
dating of the late-flowering lilies. T. uvaria is hardier than
the hollyhock, and will thrive wherever the commonest lily
can hold its ground. In common with most other good

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

165

things, it grows most luxuriantly in a deep, rich, well- drained
loam. In our damp, heavy soil in the valley of the Lea,
it holds its ground
well, and flowers
most abundantly. T.
uvaria , 3 feet, scar¬
let and orange, is
indispensable. T. u .

{ jlaucescens , with ex¬
tra long glaucous
leaves, 4 feet, scarlet
and orange, is more
free to flower, and
equally hardy. T.
u, grandiflora , with
very rigid scape, and
flowers more deci¬
dedly scarlet than
the others, is a grand
plant, but the least
hardy of the three.

T. media is a good
shrubbery species,
flowering freely in
the later months of
the year.

Trollius (Globe¬
flower). — A good
border plant where
the soil is heavy and
moist, and bears

shade patiently. The best are T. Asiaticus , 1 foot, and T.
JEurojpeus , 2 feet ; both have yellow flowers from May to July.

Tulip. — As a border flower the tulip has but one fault —
it is short-lived. Of its splendour and variety we need say
nothing — better is it we should make good use of what little
space we can afford to say and prove that there is nothing in
the catalogue of border flowers to equal the tulip in cheap¬
ness, adaptability to a variety of circumstances, hardiness,
simplicity of management, and capability to make a liberal
return for every reasonable outlay. Once become possessed
of a variety worth growing, if the stock consists of but one

166

tiie amateur's flower garden.

bulb, and it not only need not be lost, bnt will be sure to
increase yearly with the most trifling exercise of care and
judgment on the part of the cultivator. Any ordinary good
soil -will grow tulips well, but the best possible soil for them
is a well-drained, very rich and mellowr sandy loam. Partial
shade they bear well ; indeed, it is the custom to put an
awning over a bed of named late tulips, both to prolong the
beauty of the flowers, preserve their true colours, and
enhance the enjoyment of inspection, for a good bed of tulips
is an exhibition in itself. For ordinary purposes, all the several
classes and sorts of tulips may be treated in the same man¬
ner, and they will all flower superbly, and increase rapidly,
and maintain their quality, though the circumstances they are
subject to may not be such as a tulip-fancier would approve.
Indeed, for the parterre and the mixed border no one needs
expensive kinds ; at the same time, those who have first
acquired some experience in the management of the cheapest
will be wTell prepared to plunge into the tulip fancy, if so
minded, and they might do worse.

The early tulips are the most useful for massing, because
tney may be taken up in time to make the beds ready for
geraniums and other summer bedders. They should be planted
in October, four inches deep and six inches apart, and be
taken up as soon as their leaves begin to wither, at the end
of May. It is not necessary to wait until the leaves have
quite died down ; if they are but half dead, the bulbs may be
lifted and laid aside, with a thin covering of earth, for a week,
to ripen for storing. The late, or exhibition tulips, should
be planted in November, and taken up in June, when the
leaves begin to die down. It is no easy matter to kill tulips.
We remember sending a valuable collection to the other side
of the world, some twenty-five years ago. They were delayed
in transit, and our calculations were upset. The result was,
that nearly a year elapsed from the time they were taken up
in England to the planting of the roots in the colony. Then
when the boxes were opened, it was found that the bulbs had
shrivelled away to dust, but every one had. formed a cluster
of tiny offsets to take its place, and from these offsets our
friend soon obtained stocks of the several varieties that were sent
out to him. In the autumn of 1869 we were so much occupied
with big work, that the planting of our tulips was deferred,
and deferred, until at last the 2nd of April, 1870, arrived, and

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

167

they were found much shrivelled and half grown in their
several drawers in the seed-rooms. On that day we planted
about three thousand bulbs on a piece of rough ground in the
kitchen garden. They had scarce a drop of rain (for it was a
season of drought), and were never watered nor weeded. At
the end of June they were taken up and stored away. In the
month of October following they were planted in the flower
garden, and at the time of writing this paragraph (May 2)
they are just go- «=

ing out of bloom,
having made a
glorious display.

Again, a lot of
early tulips, hya¬
cinths, and narcis¬
sus, bought in the
autumn of 1870,
were unavoidably
neglected until the
1st of March, 187.1,
when they were all
planted in the kitchen garden to “ save their lives.” On this
same 2nd of May they are all in perfection of flower, but a
great batch of crocuses, planted at the same time, have very
nearly perished.

The late or show tulips are well adapted for borders, in
which they can be left for several years ; but they are not
adapted for the parterre, because they cannot be cleared away
in proper time for the planting of the summer bedders which
should follow. When grown in projoer florists’ fashion, they
are planted in beds four feet wide, the sorts being arranged
so that they graduate in heights from the sides to the centre,
as in the subjoined figure. A bed of sixty rows of good
named show tulips — that is, 420 bulbs in all- — may be obtained
for £20 ; and as for the early tulips, the prices of the very
best range from ten to thirty shillings per hundred.

TULIP BED.

A SELECTION OF TWO HUNDRED SHOW TULIPS.

The following is a list of 200 cheap first-class sorts, which
every beginner should possess, as they stand in the foremost
rank at all our great exhibitions : —

Bizarres. — First Bow: Albion , Dr. Horner , G oldham* s

1G8

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Fortunius , Golden Fleece , King of Tulips, Marshal Soult ,
Osiris , Roi de Navarre , Groom's Rubini , Fdward Codring-

ton , Lawrence' s Solon , Lawrence's Selim , Stein's Napier, Tele-

machus , Clarice's Ulysses . - Second Row : Ariadne, Apollo ,

Lizard Le Kaine, Coronation, Gharbonnier Noir, Captain White,
Darius, Lawrence' s Glencoe , Gloria Mundi , Lawrence' s Ostade ,
Optimus , Lyde's Oddity, Filot, Lawrence' s Leacock, Strong's

Titian, William IV. - Third Row : Carter's Leopold, Charles

X., Captain Sleigh, Delaforce' s King, Lawrence' s Fabius, Lord
Strathmore, Lord John Russell, Magnum Lonum, Milton ,
Ophir, Folyphemus (feathered), Folyphemus (flamed), Frince
of the Netherlands, Strong's Hero, Salamander , TFaZ&er’s King.

— - Fourth Row : DicJcson's Duke of Devonshire, Lawrence' s

Donzelli, Fmperor of Austria, Lord Collingivood, Proteus,
Sharp's Victory (alias Sultan), Lawrence's Sheet Anchor ,
Warsaw.

Byblcemens. — First Row : Bienfait, Chellaston Beauty ,
Euclid, Gloria alborum, La Belle Narine, Farmigiana, Golcl-
ham's Frince, Queen of the North, Strong's Claude, Gibbon's

Purple Perfection. - Second Row : Lawrence's Friend (alias

Addison), Brown's Wallace, Bijou des Amateurs, Blomart, Cleo¬
patra, Countess of Harrington, Lawrence' s Diogenes , Euterpe ,
Gibbon's Enchantress, Grand Monargue , Irlandois, Ivanhoe,
Joseph Strutt, Lalla Rookh, Lewald, La Virginite, Lawrence's
Lord Stanley, La Joie , La Latiere, Malibran, Maid of Orleans,
Mentor, Gibbon's Purple Perfection, Penelope, Prince Charles,
Reid's Frince Albert , Wilmer's Queen Victoria, Queen Char¬
lotte, Rubens , Smith's Wellington , Superb et Noir , Victoria

Regina, Violet Blondeau, Violet Rougedtre, Winifred , Zoe. -

Third Row : Acapulca (alias Roi de Siam), Gibbon' s Britannia,
Black Baguet, Cincinnatus, Colossus , Desdemona , Due de Bor¬
deaux, Due de Boitffleurs, Gibbon's Elegans , Franciscus Primus,
Grotius, Grand Sultan, Holme's King, Lawrence' s Lady Errol,
Lawrence's Lord Hawkesbury , Michael Angelo, Miss Porter ,
Princess Charlotte's Cenotaph, Princess Royal, Lawrence's
Patty , Lawrence' s Priam, Tintoret. - Fourth Row : Ambas¬

sador, Alexander Magnus, Lawrence' s Camarine, Captain Lamp-
son, Commodus , Lawrence' s Elthiron, Louis XVI. , Saint Paul,
Thalia, Violet Quarto, General Barnovelde, ELugobert, Lelot
Sovereign, Lilias' Grand Vase, Pass Salvator Rosa, Carter's
Regulator , Wood's Rembrandt , Sir H. Pottinger, Gibbon's
Surpass Le Grand.

TIIE amateur’s flower garden.

169

Roses. — First Row : Scarnell's Bijou, Cerise Blanche , Catalina ,
Fleur des Dames , Kate Connor , Madge Wildjire , Rose, Juliana ,
Diana Boyle , La diesis , TFiZdkwr (flamed), Ondine

(feathered), Groom's Per siana, Rose mignon. - Second Row:

Aspasia , Andromeda , Cerise d Bella Forme , Comet , Lawrence' s
Cymba , Duchess of Neivcastle , Groom's Duchess of Sutherland ,
Dutch Ponceau , Slater's Fairy Queen , Goldham's Maria ,
rence's Lady Waldegrave , Clark's Lavinia, Mary Lamb , Mason's
Matilda , Perle Brillant , Perle d' Orient, Rose Imogene , Triumph
Royal, Strong's Duchess of Kent , Lawrence's Emily, Willison's

Juliet , La Belle Nanette , Ponceau-tres-blanc. - Third Row :

Lawrence's Aglaia, Anastasia, Claudiana, Lawrence's Duchess
of Clarence, Fanny Cerito, Lord Byron, Rose Camuse , Rose
Brilliant , Rose Galatea, Lawrence's Mary Anne, Rose Cordelia ,
Rose Walworth , Thalestris , Haijward's Magnificent, Vicar of
Radford . — — Fourth Row : Lawrence's Clarissima, Comte de
Vergennes, Lawrence's Emily, Madame Vestris, Mountain
Sylph , Midland Beauty, Prince William IV., Rosa Blanca .

BEST THIRTY BEDDING TULIPS.

Red : Cramoisie, Vermilion Brilliant, Couleur Cardinal,
Monument, Feu d' Anvers, Zongloed , Van Thol .

Yellow: Marquis de Nesselrode, Yelloto Prince, Yellcw
Tournesol, Yelloiv Rose, Grenadier , Yellow Pottebakker .

White: Alida, White Pottebakker, Jagt van Delft, Luna ,
Nonsuit.

Various : RoZ Pepin, white and crimson ; d'Aremberg,
crimson and gold ; Florida, deep mauve ; Keizerkroon , crimson
and gold ; Thomas Moore, yellow and buff ; Fim cZer Veer,
puce; Proserpine, crimson; Bonaparte, chocolate.

Double: The best doubles for a group are Ztf Candour,
Rex Rubrorum, Tournesol, Yellow Rose .

Veronica (Speedwell). — The shrubby veronicas are not
quite hardy, but must have place here on account of their
massive character and showy flowers. They answer to plant
against dwarf walls, and in peculiarly sheltered, sunny, well-
drained positions. They may in cold climates, and on damp
soils, survive several winters in succession, and at last dis¬
appear suddenly before the assaults of cold and wet. Any
ordinary good soil will suffice to sustain them well, and the
poorer and drier the soil, the hardier will be the plants. They

170

THE AMATEUR’S EL OWE R GARDEN.

may be most easily increased by cuttings of young slioofs in
summer ; and being most easy plants to manage, may be
grown in quantity in pots for the conservatory, and to make
pleasing masses in the garden in the autumnal months by
plunging the plants when in full bloom in a suitable border.
The best of them are V. Anders onii, blue and white ; the
< variegated leaved variety of the same is much used in bedding,
and makes a fine conservatory plant; V. decitssata, blue;
Glair e de Lyon , crimson; and multiflora , violet and white.
The herbaceous veronicas are an inferior lot of plants; but
V. amethystina , and V. spicata , are worth a place in the border
and require only the most ordinary treatment.

Vinca (Periwinkle). — The fast-growing, shade-loving,
most accommodating and beautiful hardy vincas are things
almost unknown to the majority of amateur gardeners. There
is no end to the uses they are adapted for ; but to clothe
banks and half- waste spots under trees, and to fill up nooks
where scarcely any other plant will grow, they are invaluable.
The collector of good herbaceous plants should make it a
point to secure all the sorts, and plant them somewhere in
view of the possibility of needing some day to propagate a
stock for some particular purpose. The young shoots may
be struck in summer under hand-glasses, or they may be
pegged down to root around the parent ready for removal
next season. All the sorts are good, and they number in all
about . a dozen. V, reticulata is a bold showy plant, with
leaves rich green, and prettily pencilled; V. major fol. var .
makes a good edging to flower beds, and being quite hardy is
a capital poor man’s substitute for variegated geraniums ;
V. minor forms a neat little tuft, w^hicli in spring produces
more blue flowers than any other kind.

Viola (The Violet).- — Here again we are tempted to say
much, but intend to say little. In our deep heavy land,
violets of every kind grow with astonishing vigour, and flower
with extravagant profusion without any care at all. We
might be tempted, therefore, to advise leaving the plant to
take its chance as a weed in the garden, did we not happen
to know that in many cases it must have systematic treatment,
or it never justifies its occupation of the soil. Happily, we can
sum up the case in a few words. In the first place, all kinds
of violets that are worth growing require a good rich moist
soil and a shady situation. It is in the mellow product of rotted

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

171

leaves, and the warmth and shade of the wood, that nature
brings forth violets to perfume the breath of the spring. In
preparing a soil for violets, use leaf-mould and very rotten
hotbed manure freely. If the soil is strong, but unkind, dig
in a great quantity of charrings from a smother. Having
secured a proper soil, the next most important matter is to
raise a stock of plants every year. The simplest mode of
doing this is to take up a lot of old plants and tear them up
in May and plant them in fresh soil. A far better way is,
about the middle of April, to spread amongst the plants a
mixture of leaf-mould and rotten manure, working it in by
means of a broom or the hand, when the plants are quite dry.
After this water the bed frequently with a waterpot fitted
with a fine rose, to keep the surface-soil moist. In about
twenty days there will be newly-rooted runners all over the
bed holding to the tempting stuff with which the plants were
top-dressed. How dig them all up, remove the strongest of the
young newly-rooted runners, and plant them in a well-prepared
bed, and throw all the rest away. Keep the plantation well
watered during dry weather until the end of August, after
which water need not be given. In due time you will
have plenty of violets. If turf pits can be spared it is a good
plan to plant in them a lot of the earliest and strongest
runners, and then by putting on the lights as soon as the
chilly nights of autumn return, the plants will bloom three
months in advance of those in the open ground. There are
many varieties of sweet violets in cultivation, and some of
them are good, such as The Czar , and the Giant ; but for out»
door growth there is nothing to surpass the Russian , and for
frame and greenhouse culture the Neapolitan. The so-called
red violets are ill-looking, and scarcely sweet; the white-
flowered are elegant and delightfully fragrant.

The border violas are mostly American, and scentless. The
best are : V. cornuta, pale blue; V. luiea , bright yellow; V.
pahnata, purple ; V.pedata , dark blue ; V. tricolor, the common
“ Heartsease,” for cultivation of which, see Pansy, page 78.

Wallflower. — This is commonly classed with annuals,
and, as such, is one of the most useful of our hardy plants.
We place it here, because the real wallflower, Cheiranthus
cheiri , and all its relatives, are true perennials, and may be
grown from year to year, until they acquire the character of
miniature trees, four or five feet (or more) in height. Though

172

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

capable of existing almost anywhere, the common wallflower
is scarcely a thriving plant in shady positions and on cold,
wet soils. Warmth and dryness are important conditions of
its well-doing, and it will attain complete development on a
wall or buttress, where it has but a mere spoonful of dust to
root in, while on a rich, heavy soil, it will progress but slowly,
and will surely die in a cold, wet winter. A light, rich, and
■well- drained sunny border will suit all the plants in this sec¬
tion ; damp is always death to them, but they scarcely suffer
if required to grow in partial shade. It is so easy to get up a
stock of wallflowers from seed, that we shall be content to
advise that, if a succession of flowers is desired, three sowings
should be made — in April, May, and June ; and the open
border is the best possible seed-bed. To plant them out as
soon as they are large enough to handle is an important
matter ; for if they remain crowded in the seed-bed, they
become attenuated and comparatively worthless. Those wall¬
flowers will bloom the best that have been long standing on
the same spot ; and, when removal is necessary,, it should be
performed in dull, showery weather. We will suppose, now,
that you are enjoying tbe cheerful appearance and delightful
odour of a mass of wallflowers, and you note amongst them a
few with particularly fine flowers. If you wish to keep those
varieties for any special purpose — say for spring bedding — the
simplest and safest course will be to take from them as many
cuttings as possible, and strike them under hand-glasses or
on a mild hotbed, and the stock is secured. When the plants
are in bloom is the proper time to make the cuttings ; and the
blind shoots at the base of the plant — that is to say, the small
green shoots that have not flowered, are those which should
be removed to be made into plants. There are in cultivation
a few peculiar “ strains” of wallflowers — one in particular, a
dwarf bushy plant, with flowers of the clearest yellow. There
is much difficulty in obtaining seeds of these highly-valued
varieties, but having once secured a pinch of true seed, or a
few plants of the right sort, the cultivator never need lose
any of them again, for he has two strings to his bow — he may
save seed and strike cuttings ; and though the first may sport
away from the proper type, the second will not, but will re¬
produce exactly the characteristics of the parent plants. The
double-flowering varieties can only be perpetuated by cuttings,
and those who purchase seed 64 warranted ” to produce double

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

173

flowers are sure to be disappointed. The old double yellow is
a grand plant when well grown, both for the conservatory and
the open border. The sort of border that suits wallflowers
best is one adjoining the wall of a greenhouse, and the soil
should consist of equal parts good sandy loam, and broken
bricks, and old mortar, two feet in depth, resting on a dry
subsoil. In such a border the double wallflowers will live for
many years, and become handsome trees. Any aspect will
suit them, and if four walls with four several aspects can be
planted, there will be a succession of flowers from the turn of
the year on the south side, to quite midsummer on the north.

The alpine wallflower, C. alpinus , growing 6 to 9 inches
high, with flowers of the brightest yellow, is a valuable plant
for a dry border or rockery, and it bears shade well. Mar¬
shall’s wallflower, G . Marshalli , is extremely neat in growth,
and remarkably showy when in flower ; it grows one foot high,
and the flowers are of a deep orange colour. Both these can be
grown from seeds or cuttings, and where they are employed
in spring bedding, it is important to make sure of them by
means of cuttings ; for they cannot be depended upon to pro¬
duce good seed in plenty : that, indeed, depends very much
upon the peculiarities of the soil and the season. Those who
are anxious about seed should make a plantation on a raised
bank of poor sandy soil, in a bleak situation, to increase the
seed-bearing tendencies of the plants. In fat soils they rarely
produce seed, and are likely to be short-lived.

VIOLA PEDATA.

CHAPTER VIII.

TENDER BORDER FLOWERS.

The plants classed in this section are such as require to be
raised every year from seeds under glass, with, in most cases,
the aid of artificial heat ; or to be preserved with particular
care during the winter, and have the aid of heat to start them
into life in spring. They are distinguished from hardy peren¬
nials and hardy annuals by the fact that they are so far tender
in constitution that it is only during the summer months they
can endure exposure to the common atmosphere. Fortunately
for the cultivator, they readily adapt themselves to a variety
of circumstances, provided only they are warm enough, and
for the most part they are rapid-growing plants ; so that, very
soon afcer being planted out they attain their full stature and
flower freely. To speak of tender border flowers in a compre¬
hensive manner, we might say that the instructions offered
on the cultivation of bedders apply to them with but trifling
exceptions, which the amateur will soon discover for himself.
But our duty is to be particular and precise, however brief ;
and therefore we shall again attempt, as in previous chapters,
to provide very short but thoroughly practical codes of
management for the several subjects that claim attention here.

Though much may be done by means of cold frames, and
by economizing spare corners in a greenhouse or early vinery
in the growth of tender border flowers, the amateur who
would do things well must encounter the few difficulties that
attend the construction and management of a

Hotbed. — To heap up a quantity of stable manure is one
thing ; to make a serviceable and lasting hotbed is another.
The method of procedure must in some degree depend on the
nature of the materials at command for the purpose. Stable
manure that has been slowly accumulating in a heap, and the
greater part of which is in a half powdery condition through.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

175

fermenting long and furiously, will make a first-rate hotbed,
with an extremely small amount of trouble. It is only neces¬
sary to make up a bed three feet deep, and large enough to
extend two feet beyond the frame every way, and there is a
hotbed at once mild and lasting. In making the bed, see
that the manure is moderately moist throughout ; if dry and
flaky, and, perhaps, blue with mildew, throw water over it as
the work proceeds— not in such a way as to saturate one
portion and leave another dry, but to make it moderately
moist throughout. Put on the frame, and then cover the
manure inside the frame with six inches of good soil, con¬
sisting of turfy loam from a heap of top- spit turf that has been
laying by for a year, with a good proportion added of old
hotbed manure rotted to powder, and sharp sand, to render
the mass porous and light. Road- scrapings from gravel roads
are to be preferred io pit sand ; or the sittings of the sweep¬
ings of gravel walks answer well for the amelioration of a
good loam in preparing a seed-bed. If leaf-mould is obtain¬
able, it may be employed to great advantage, mixed with
turfy loam, to cover the manure as a bed for the plants.

We must suppose, however, that fresh manure only is
obtainable ; and in this case it must undergo a systematic
preparation, for if heaped up in a crude state, it will ferment
so fiercely as to burn up seeds and plants, and ruin any and
every enterprise. Let the manure be well shaken out, and
laid up in a heap as lightly as possible, and, if dry, sprinkle
water on it as the work proceeds. In the course of about
four days shift the whole mass to another spot, breaking all
the lumps with the fork, and la y it up again. If it happens
to be short and pasty, as it will be if there is any considerable
proportion of it drawn from the cow-byre or pigsty, mix with
it straw, fern, old turf, or other dry vegetable litter. When
it ceases to ferment furiously, and has acquired a steady heat,
make up the bed as directed above, in the use of manure
already much fermented, except that in this case the bed
should be full five feet deep. In any and every case a mere
handful of stuff is of no use. To be sure, an experienced
hand can do much with poor materials, and a one-horse load
of good stable manure will suffice, under good direction, for a
hotbed that will stock a garden with dahlias, asters, balsams,
and many other things. But, as a rule, any less quantity
than four horseloads is useless ; and so we advise the beginner

176

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

to begin by making a good bed, and to wait nntil experience
has taught how shifts may be made, and severe economy
practised. Moreover, a well-made hotbed will abundantly
pay for its cost, for after it has supplied seedling plants for
the flower garden, it will be in a good condition for growing
marrows or mushrooms, with a proper improvement of the
top soil by the addition of good loam and manure, according
to the requirements of the case. The larger the bulk, the
longer will the heat continue, and the more steady will it be.
When the frame is put on, it is probable that the heat will
rise to too high a pitch, in which case the frame must be
tilted to allow the steam to escape. The beginner must bear
in mind, that if the whole affair is as light as possible, the
heat will be more moderate than if it is pressed or beaten
down ; therefore, in the employment of rank manure, though
two or three times turned, care should be taken not to tread
on the beds more than is absolutely necessary. On the other
hand, if old manure is employed, and the heat does not rise
as desired, tread down the manure pretty firm before putting
on the soil, and there will soon be a nice heat generated that
will last long enough, with a careful husbanding of the
warmth derived from the sun, by shutting up early, and
giving no air at all on bleak, dull days. It is always better
to sow seeds and to strike cuttings on a bed in a frame
over a mass of fermenting material ; nevertheless, pots and
seed-pans may be employed instead, or both systems may
be pursued simultaneously. Our practice, for many years
past, has been to make up a bed with about twenty or
thirty loads of well-rotted manure, and put on the frames,
and set them to work at once, regulating the heat by judicious
ventilation. The bed is kept at work throughout the sum¬
mer, for various purposes, and in the winter is cleared away,
and the manure stored in the potting-shed, to be ready for
use in preparing composts, and to make the ground ready for
a new bed in the spring. When propagating on hotbeds
is commenced early, it is necessary to have ready in good
time a second set of beds, on which to prick out the plants
raised in the first, because tender subjects must be hept growing
until they can be safely planted out. The amateur who grows
but a few choice plants, and has but few conveniences for the
pursuit, will do well to defer to the latest moment possible the
commencement of hotbed work, because then the sun will be

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

177

helping every day ; and very soon after the plants have grown
to a size large enough to be handled, they may be planted
out, and nature will take kindly charge of them.

<c So manifold, all pleasing in their kind,

All healthful are th* employs of rural life,

Reiterated as the wheel of time

Runs round ; still ending, and beginning still.”

Aster. — The aster is commonly and properly designated a
* half-hardy annual.” We class it here with tender border
dowers, because its requirements assimilate closely with a few
perennial plants of similar constitution. To grow it well, it
must be grown quickly, and never suffer a check from the
first. If carelessly treated, it becomes the prey of green-fly
and red-spider ; or, if these haply abstain from assailing it,
starvation marks it for her own, and a yellow leafage and a
shrunken flower tell surely of the hardships it has endured,
and it cannot prove the joy of the garden, as with good
treatment it will surely be when its season of flowering
arrives. Beginners are apt to sow the seed too soon, and so
involve themselves in trouble ; for the instant that the plants
are large enough, they should go to the open ground, and
there have encouragement to grow freely, exposed to all the
winds of heaven, wTith water only to help them through times
of drought. The first step towards a good display of asters
is to obtain the best seed possible, and as there is plenty of
bad seed in the market, the purchase should be made from a
house of known respectability. Home-saved seed is worth¬
less, so do not trust to it. From the end of April to the middle
of May is the proper time to sow the seed, and it is well to
promote germination on a mild hotbed, or by placing the
seed-pans in a greenhouse. They may, however, be very well
started in a cold frame, if kept closely shut up and carefully
managed as to air-giving after the young plants appear. It
is good practice to plant out the stock as soon as the plants
are large enough to handle — say when they are an inch high —
on a nearly- exhausted hotbed ; the object being to promote
a quick growth. But a bed in a cold frame will serve the
purpose, and they must have as much air as can be given them
with due consideration of their tender nature and the state of
the weather ; when they are three inches high they should be
planted out where they are to flower. If required simply

178

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

to make a gay border or bed, any good garden soil will snit
them, and they should stand six inches -apart. But if fine
flowers are required they must be planted out on soil well dug
and liberally manured, quite a foot apart each way, and when
planted a thin coating or mulch of rotten manure should be
spread over the ground amongst the plants. If well managed
from the first, they will not need the support of stakes ; but the
cultivator must determine this point, and if it is needful to
assist them with the support, they should be staked neatly
some time before the flower-buds begin to swell. Having
grown hundreds of thousands of all the sorts known, we have
found it not only a saving of time but the better for the plants
that they should not be staked at all ; but if they are drawn
in the early stages of growth, or are peculiarly exposed to
strong winds, they must be assisted. In dry weather they
should be well watered, and if flowers of high quality are
desired, the flower-buds should be thinned to three or four
to each plant as soon as they are visible. Slugs are great
enemies of asters, and where these pests abound it is a good
plan to plant lettuces in the beds at the same time as the
asters, both to decoy the slugs from the asters and also enable
the cultivator to crush the enemy ; for they will congregate
about the lettuces, and may thus be caught night and morning,
and it will be well to hunt for them after dark by means of a
lantern. Bed-spider and aphis are terrible destroyers of asters.
To prevent their coming keep the plants growing freely, for it
is the starving plant they search for and love ; the strong
plant is not to their taste at all. Occasional dusting with dry
powdered lime or sulphurized tobacco- dust will be found of
great service when asters are assailed by any of these destroy¬
ers, but the golden rule from first to last is to insure a vigo¬
rous growth and a state of robust health, and then even the
unfastidious slug will scarcely care to touch them, for he, like
the rest of the marauders, has a special love for a soft sickly
plant. A pleasing display of asters may be obtained by sow¬
ing the seed, on the spot where the plants are intended to
flower, about the 10th of May, and thinning the plants to six
inches apart. This simple system produces only late flowers of
inferior quality. To insure fine asters the plants must be cul¬
tivated.

The best varieties of asters are the Pwony flowered, Chry¬
santhemum, and Quilled ; of each of which there are several

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN-.

179

colours. In all cases the dwarfesfe sorts make the most
complete and beautiful masses, and the tall ones are the most
useful for cut-flowers.

Balsam. — This noble flower requires the same general
treatment as the aster, and is a few degrees more tender in
constitution. As a bedding plant for any odd position it
answers well, and may be dealt with in a rough-and-ready
fashion. Prepare the ground by deep digging and libera)
manuring, and sow the seed thinly about the 20th of May.
Thin the plants to full two feet apart, help them with
weak manure-water, and they will soon cover the bed and
flower splendidly, unless the season happens to be unusually
cold, in which case the bed of balsams will be a down¬
right failure. To grow fine balsams, sow on a hotbed the
last week in March, and again in the last week of April.
Warmth and moisture are most important aids in the culti¬
vation of the balsam, for it should grow fast from the first,
and never suffer a check. Prick out the plants from the
seed-pans when their seed-leaves are fully developed, putting
them in light rich soil on a hotbed, the heat of which is never
lower than 55° to 65° at night. Plant them so deep that their
leaves almost touch the soil ; sprinkle them frequently with
water of the same temperature as the air of the frame, and
ventilate carefully to promote a sturdy habit without checking
the growth. Frequently lift and plant out or pot them in rich
soil, so as to afford the roots more and more room, and keep them
growing fast in a frame over a nearly spent hotbed until they
become great bushes, when they may be allowed to flower.
They may be grown to almost any size if the flower-buds are
constantly picked off until the plants are as large as required.
A few fine balsams in pots are of the greatest value to embel¬
lish the greenhouse and sitting-room in the height of summer,
and in the process of producing them, the least promising
plants will be found useful for planting out in beds and borders,
but they must not be put out until Midsummer-day unless
the season and the situation are both peculiarly favourable.
The best varieties are the Bose-flowered and Camellia-flowered ,
but worthless seed is commonly sold under these names, and
the only way to insure seed worth growing is to go to a house
known to be trustworthy, and pay a good price for it. The
more perfect a balsam is in form and colour the less productive
will it be of seed, but trashy balsams will produce abundance,

180

tiie amateur’s flower garden.

and hence those who vend inferior articles experience no
trouble whatever in making np low-priced packets of balsam
seed.

Dahlia.-— As a border flower the dahlia is certainly worth
the little care it requires, but it is not a first-class border
plant, though, if regarded from the florist’s point of view, it
is one of the grandest flowers of the garden, and in rank must
be placed second only to the rose. When required to form the
background of a plantation, intermixed with hollyhocks,
aconites, and other tall-growing plants, it is only necessary to
put out in the common soil roots that have been stored in sand
the first week in May, or wait until the first week in June, and
then put out young plants that have been carefully hardened
in a frame. The bouquet dahlias are especially valuable for
the mixed border, because their comparatively small flowers are
produced in great profusion, and they are more useful as cut-
flowers than those of the exhibition class. When the frost has
cut down the plants, the roots should be taken up with a few
inches of the stem attached as a handle, and be stored away in
sand in a loft or some other cool dry place. To grow the
dahlia with a view to the production of fine flowers something
more must be done than this rude code requires. The roots
are started into growth on a hotbed or over a tank in a warm
greenhouse in March, and if a large stock is required the
shoots are taken off and struck in heat as fast as they can be
obtained. But if only a few good plants are wanted, the first
lot of shoots are broken off and thrown away, and the second
lot are struck; these making better plants than the first.
They must be kept growing freely in the fashion of bedding
plants, and be hardened off in like manner for planting out.
The plantation should be made on a piece of ground that was
prepared for the purpose in the previous November, by trench¬
ing and manuring. It should lie open to the south, but have
the shelter of trees from the north. A shady or confined spot
will not do. It is a common mistake to plant early in order to
obtain extra growth and early flowers. Early planting is a
needless exposure of the plants to a thousand baneful in¬
fluences. The first week in June is the proper time to plant,
but some time in May, and the sooner the better, the plot
should be planted with lettuces, and these should be constantly
hunted for vermin. The proper way to plant is to open
boles five feet apart, and dig in some good rotten manure to a

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

181

depth of two feet. Then plant carefully, filling in round the
plant with fine earth, and drive down a strong stake behind
the plant about four inches distant from it. Finally drive in
two shorter and lighter stakes in front of the plant, about
eighteen inches distant from the stake in the rear, to form a
triangle. As soon as the plant is tall enough tie it to the main
stake, and pass the matting on either side of the plant to the
stakes in front to form a sort of cage. The farther tying will
be a very simple matter. In dry weather copious supplies of
water must be given, and by the middle of July the roots
should be mulched with good half-rotten manure. The ear¬
wig will now begin to make its mark on the plants and must
be trapped. For this purpose there is nothing to equal small
flower-pots, each containing a bit of dry moss or hay, and
mounted on the top of the principal stake above the plant.

Dahlias vary very much in growth, and therefore need varia¬
tions of treatment. Those that make over-much growth must
be thinned so as to allow free access of light and air to the
principal branches. Those that present a great number of
flower-buds must be disbudded in order that the flowers may
be of good quality. In removing shoots pinch them out when
very young; and if uncertain about the extent of thinning
required, take care to err on the side of leaving the plants
rather too crowded, than to reduce them in a degree detrimental
to their vigour. The shading, dressing, and exhibiting of the
flowers are subjects that do not properly claim attention here,
but we subjoin a list of first-class varieties that are likely to
be considered good until 1880, and perhaps a year or two
beyond.

snow DAHLIAS. — BEST FIFTY.

Light : Julia Wyatt , Mrs. Brunt on, Hon. Mrs. Wellesley ,
Unique, Queen of Beauties, Heroine, Dawn, Mrs. Dodds, Miss
Henshaw, Peri, Anna Keynes , Alexandra, Princess, Harriet
Tetterell , Play of Truce , Adonis, Heby, Lady Derby, Caroline
Tetterell.

Yellow and Orange: King of Primroses, James Hunter,
Samuel Naylor, Chairman, Hugh Miller , Mr. Boshell , Charles
Turner , Fanny Purchase, Leah, Lady M. Herbert, Vice-President,
Loyalty, Toison d'Or .

Crimson and Red : Mr. Dix, Triomphe de Pecq, British
Triumph, Bob Ridley, Sir Greville Smythe, Aristides.

182

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Purple and Maroon : Indian Chief, \ Andrew Dodd , Lord
Derby , George Wheeler, James Backhouse, Paradise Williams,
High Sheriff.

Lilac and Rose : Memorial, Juno, Lilac Queen, Criterion,
Mrs. Boston .

FANCY DAHLIAS. — BEST TWENTY-FOUR.

Striped and Spotted: Lady Dunmore, Madame Nilsson,
Purple Flake , Octoroon, Regularity, Sam Bartlett, Fbor, John
Salter , Artemus Ward, Butterfly, Grand Sultan, Leopardess,
Viceroy.

Dark Tipped: Polly Perkins, Lady Paxton, Mrs. Crisp,
Nora Creina, Pauline, Pluto, Queen Mob, Prospero, Fanny Sturt,
Gem , Viceroy .

BEDDING DAHLIAS. — BEST EIGHTEEN.

Light : Queen of Whites, Alba floribunda nana.

Yellow : Duke of Newcastle , Golden Bedder, Golden Ball ,
Leah.

Scarlet : Beaute de Massifs, Scarlet Tom Thumb, Rising Sun.

Rose and Lilac : La Belle, Rose Gem, Scarlet Gem, Blonde.

Crimson and Purple : Tom Thumb, Crimson Gem , Royal
Purple, Zelinda, Floribunda.

Lobelia. — The magnificent plants known in gardens as
herbaceous lobelias,” descendants of L. cardinalis, L. fulgens,
and others, have never enjoyed the favour to which they are
entitled, though at the present time they are comparatively
unknown, as compared with the partial recognition of their
merits a quarter of a century ago. The garden varieties are
the perfection of border plants, and a few amongst them
having distinctive purple, bronze, or claret-tinted leafage, as
well as brilliant flowers of divers hues, may be employed as
bedders with eminent advantage. In the cultivation of these
fine plants some little skill and care are necessary, and there
are two ways of managing, which may be termed respectively
the gardener’s and the cottager’s methods. As the cottager’s
is the most simple, let us begin with that. Some time early
in the month of May a few plants are purchased and planted
on a deep well-manured border in the full sun. If they are to
make a mass, they may be a foot apart, but much better to
put them in clumps of three each in the midst of lupins, del-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

183

phiniums, lychnis, and other such bonny tc old-fashioned ”
flowers, for the many tints of green there are in sncb borders,
and perhaps the fine deep shadows of shrubs and trees in the
rear, help to bring out the colours of these noble lobelias. To
bring them to perfection by this treatment, all that is further
needed is abundance of water. Give each clump half a gallon
every evening (except during rainy weather), from the time
of planting till the first flowers open ; and then discontinue
watering, as the season will be advanced, and showers will
probably suffice for their wants. As soon as the bloom is over
they should be taken up, and be potted in light soil, and be
kept out of doors till the nights are frosty, when they must
be housed in a pit or greenhouse, or a window somewhere safe
from frost, but in full light ; and all winter they must have
air as often as possible, and a little water to prevent them
getting dry. Mind they never go dry, winter or summer — it
is a golden rule. As for propagating, you can divide in May
when planting out, or you can sow seed in May and June, or
you may strike cuttings in autumn or spring if you can give
them a little heat, or even without heat if you know how to
strike cuttings at all.

ISTow for the gardener’s system, which requires glass and
grand notions. Gardeners are oftentimes puzzled to know
how to vary the July and August show when all the “good
things ” are over. Let them try lobelias of the cardinalis
section, and cry out again when they have mastered all the
points in the cultivation of these glorious subjects. Supposing
the plants to be purchased in March, they ought at once to
have a shift to 32-sized pots, the compost to be silky loam,
leaf-mould, turfy peat, and rotten manure, equal parts. In
these pots allow them to flower in the greenhouse, giving
abundance of light and water until the first blooms open,
and then gradually diminishing the supply. They will be
useful in the conservatory, and will show their qualities suffi¬
ciently to prove that if well grown another season a sensation
might be made with them. While they are in bloom mark
the best for specimen growing, and at the end of October
begin the routine. Take off the suckers as soon as they can
be removed with something like a heel to them. Pot them in
five-inch pots singly, and plunge in gentle bottom-heat. Use
the same compost as above recommended, with one part of
silver-sand added ; in after shifts return to the original com-

184 the amateur’s flower garden.

post, omitting the silver-sand. Early in January shift into
six-inch pots, and put them in an early vinery, or wherever
the heat averages 50° by night and G0° by day. In a month’s
time shift again to eight-inch pots, and give them a rise of 53
to 10’ in temperature. About the middle of April shift again
to ten or twelve-inch pots, put them in a cool house slightly
shaded, and give abundance of water. When the spikes
appear, put in light stakes five feet high, and tie the spikes
in carefully from the first, to prevent them getting bent or

twisted, and for the rest —
wait and see. Of course the
two systems can be combined,
and all plants not wanted for
indoor display can be put out
in rich mellow borders in the
month of May to take their
chance.

In selecting for ordinary
purposes, the garden varieties
are the best. But such dis¬
tinct species as L. cardin alis,
3 feet, scarlet flowers ; L. sy¬
philitica , 2 feet, light blue ;
and L. nicotiancefolia , G to
12 feet, flowers pale lilac, are
invaluable, the last being ad¬
mirably adapted to stand alone
during the summer in a shel¬
tered nook, where its noble
outlines would be seen to ad¬
vantage. The following are
the names of a dozen varieties
of different colours, and the
finest quality, for decorative
purposes : — St. Clair , crim¬
son, a fine bedder ; Carminata , carmine ; King of Blues , blue ;
Alba grandiflora , white, with blue veins ; Ceres , rose ; Sappho ,
reddish-purple ; Distinction , cerise-red ; Nonsuch , violet and
vermilion ; Ruby , ruby ; Excellent , magenta ; Beach Blossom ,
peach and vermilion ; Victoria , rich scarlet, a fine bedder.

Marvel of Peru. — “ Is it worth growing ?” Oh, ingrate
world, to ask such a question ! Look into the tiny front court

LOBELIA NICOTIANJSFOLIA.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

185

of tlie cottager in the cool of the day, and be struck dumb
with astonishment at the scintillating beauty of the great
round dense bushes clothed with bright light green shining
leaves, and pink, white, scarlet, purple, or rosy flowers, that
truly glitter as if blessed with a better sort of daylight than
the grand plants that swelter in the sun in my lord’s garden.
That brilliant buxom thing is the Marvel of Peru, a marvel
to me and you; the botanists call it Mirahilis jalajpct ; the
specific name suggesting an unpleasant experience of the
youthful palate. The plant has small carrot-shaped roots,
which are kept in sand during winter, and are planted out in
April or May. If the soil is deep and rich, there never need
be a drop of water given, and the growth is so orderly and
self-dependent that sticks and ties are never required. To
raise them from seed, sow on a hotbed in spring, and plant
out the seedlings in the early part of June.

Stock. — Six several chapters might be written on the cul¬
tivation of stocks, showing how to manage them as pot plants,
as bedding plants, for early bloom, for late bloom, and for
raising seed and new varieties. Our duty is to avoid those
matters that pertain to the nursery and the market-garden,
and provide directions for the employment of the stock as a bed¬
ding and border plant simply, and a very few words will suffice.
In the first place we condemn in toto all troublesome and
complicated methods of procedure, because they necessitate a
wasteful expenditure of time, and actually tend to the produc¬
tion of flowers that are bad in proportion to the time wasted
upon them. In the next place, we denounce as sheer foolish¬
ness all the rules proposed for distinguishing double from
single stocks when the plants are in a small state. To a cer¬
tain extent it is in the cultivator’s power to make them all
double, and our simple code of culture will indicate the proper
order of procedure. Home-grown seed is rarely of any use;
indeed, the production of good seed is an art demanding more
skill and patience than any average amateur can devote to it.
Secure the best seed possible from a first-class house, and sow
it on any day between the 10th and 30th of March. The seed-
pans or pots should be filled with light rich soil, consisting of
about equal parts of leaf-mould, rotten manure, and sandy
loam. The proper place for the seed-pans is a cold frame, and
it will be well to lay slates, tiles, or sheets of glass over them,
to assist germination and render watering unnecessary. If

186

THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN.

the soil becomes rather dry, however, it must he carefully
moistened with the syringe, or by dipping the pans into a vessel
containing a sufficient depth of soft tepid water. Instantly
upon the plants appearing remove the covers and let them
have light and air, the ventilation being regulated by the
weather so as to render the plants as robust as possible with¬
out causing a chill. They are not to be pricked out to strengthen,
nor are they to be kept in the seed-pans to starve. As soon
as they are large enough to handle, which they will be by the
middle of April, they must be planted out and encouraged to
grow freely from the very first. Any soil that will grow cab¬
bages will produce first-rate stocks, but it should be deeply
dug and liberally manured long in advance of the day of
planting : better indeed, if prepared expressly for the purpose
some time in the winter and left rough to the last moment. It
is, however, not absolutely necessary to prepare the ground
until the last moment, but it must be well done, and the
manure, in liberal quantity, thoroughly well broken up with
the staple soil. When the digging is finished, spread over the
bed two inches of manure rotted to powder, and prick it in
with a small fork. Then draw drills fifteen inches apart and
two inches deep, and in these drills insert the plants three
inches apart. An experienced workman would lift the plants
out of the pans by the aid of a bit of stick, and lay them in
bunches towards the left hand, and presenting one between the
linger and thumb, make a hole with the right hand, thrust the
plant into it with the left, and close with the right, at a rate of
speed which would astonish a novice looking on.

If frost should follow, the little plants must have some
kind of protection, and there is no more speedy and effectual
method of providing it than to cut a lot of short branches of
spruce, or any evergreen that can be spared, and stick them all
over the bed. A net spread over, and kept from touching the
plants by means of a few stout stakes, will answer well. Water
must be supplied in plenty during dry weather, and as fast as
the growing plants touch each other thin them out, always
removing the weakest and those that show flowers first.
When there begins to be a show of colour all over the bed,
make a final thinning, taking out all that present single flow¬
ers first, and then the forwardest of the double ones, until the
plants are far enough apart to promote full development, and
yet not too far for a rich effect. When the thinning is com-

THE AMATEljSfe’S FLOWER GARDEN.

187

pleted give the bed a good soaking with weak liquid manure,
then carefully touch it over with a small hoe or rake to make
a neat finish, and the routine of your cultivation is completed.
You may now send out cards of invitation to friends, for you
will have a bed of stocks that will be worthy of admiration,
and far too good for your own enjoyment solely.

Stocks may be sown in September and wintered in frames
for an early bloom. They may be sown again in heat in January
or February, but by no other course of cultivation than we
have here described, is it possible to obtain them in perfection.
The best sorts are Ten Weeks for summer display ; Interne -
diate for autumn. The German Dwarf Bouquet and German
Large- flowered Pyramidal are useful. A few good sorts are to
be preferred to anything like a collection ; indeed, collections
are only adapted for experimental gardens, the directors of
which expect always to bestow their time on many things of
quite secondary value.

Zinnia. — The habit and requirements of this plant so
closely correspond with those of the aster, that they may be
grown side by side from first to last, and there will be no
shadow of difference in their behaviour. The double Zinnias
are magnificent when well grown, but the single varieties can¬
not be dispensed with. A set of beds on an open sunny lawn
devoted severally to asters, balsams, stocks, and zinnias, or
one great bed containing a mixture of them, would afford the
frequenters of the garden a rare and delightful entertainment,
for few people grow these charming flowers, owing to the pre¬
valence of a false faith in geraniums and verbenas as the only
plants that can be persuaded to flower out-of-doors in any
garden in Great Britain.

CHAPTER XX,

HAEDY ANNUALS AND BIENNIALS.

Beginnees take to annuals with, peculiar fondness, but as they
acquire experience their love for the friends of their youth de¬
clines, and they soon become indifferent to annuals, even to the
extent of abusing them as weedy short-lived things. Many of
the hardy annuals are weedy and short-lived ; some are exqui¬
sitely neat and gay, and also short-lived ; a few are equal in
beauty to any perennials known whether hardy or tender, and
last as long in the gayest trim as any one can desire who can
find in the changeableness of plants a greater source of pleasure
than could possibly be found in unchangeable beauty, were they
so unfortunate as to be like cast-iron or the cold hard work of
the sculptor. If we are not to despise the day of small things,
we must make room in the garden for a few hardy annuals,
and it will soon be found that they have some peculiar claims
to regard, which we will endeavour here to state in very few
words. To begin with, they are cheap, and any one can grow
them : those two reasons, perhaps, prevail with beginners.
They are exceedingly gay, and the best of them last long
enough, considering that by proper management along succes¬
sion of flowers may be obtained. They may be wholly grown
from first to last without the aid of glass or flower-pots, or
composts, or sticks, or shades, or even a drop of water, and
will yet make a liberal return for the very little care which
their simple cultivation requires. There is no other class of
plants that can give an equal display of colour and an equal
range of characters and colours, gay and various, for the small x
amount of labour required to produce a brilliant border of
hardy annuals.

We shall first speak of the simplest mode of cultivating
these plants. We will suppose a sunny border, and it may be
a few beds in a sunny situation, and the month of February

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

189

has come, the spade must he employed to dig deeply and break
np the ground well. If a good dressing of half-rotten manure
can be dug in, the result will be a more brilliant and lasting
display than can be insured by withholding manure, but even
that is not absolutely necessary. The finishing touch should
be given to the border by thoroughly breaking up the surface
soil to produce a fine seed-bed. The best way to sow the seeds
is in patches of one to three feet across, and the same distance
apart as the size of each patch. It must depend upon the size
of the border as to the distances and sizes of the clumps, but a
few large clumps will be better than many small ones, even
on a border of most limited dimensions. Now we come to
the sowing of the seed, and have to say that the seeds of
hardy annuals are always sown too thick, and there are always
too many plants left in the several clumps. Good reader,
kindly bear in mind for your own joy, that one plant of the
common Virginian stock allowed to attain complete develop¬
ment will cover more than a square foot of surface, and pro¬
duce flowers as large as a florin, and last two months in
bloom ; while if twenty plants occupy the same space they will
be spindling weedy things with flowers the size of threepenny
bits, and all over in three weeks at the utmost. The one grand
secret in securing a fine bloom of hardy annuals is to sow
early, and thin severely, and to proportion the thinning to the
growth of each sort, so that every separate plant in a clump
shall have room to spread and be encouraged to make much
growth before it begins to flower. The time for sowing seed
is February and March, and the surface soil should be fine and
dry when the work is done. The seed should be thinly scat¬
tered in the circles allotted to the several sorts, and be covered
with finely-sifted earth, about one inch deep generally speak¬
ing, but the larger seeds may be dropped into holes made with
the finger or a stick, and the larger they are the deeper they
should go ; those of lupins, for instance, may be two or three
inches deep, the little seeds of Virginian stock, on the other
hand, should be but just covered. It may be that bad weather
prevents early sowing, in which case the month of April remains
for a last opportunity, and a very good display may be obtained
in June and July by sowing even so late as the end of April or
the first week in May. But as to the advantage of early sowing
there cannot be a question, for the longer the period in which
the plants grow and spread before they flower the finer at last

190

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

will their flowers be; for late-sown seeds are hurried into
flower by the heat of the sun before a fair sized plant has been
formed, and the bloom is rich or poor in proportion to the
strength or weakness of the plant that produces it. There need
be little fear of cold weather destroying early-sown seeds, for
we find that seeds of all kinds, including many of the most
tender plants, remain dormant and unhurt all the winter, and
indeed until the season has advanced sufficiently for their safe
emergence, and then they grow with their proper vigour and
the resultant plants not seldom surpass those that have been
nursed under glass with tender care. There is, however, this
risk in early sowing, that warm weather may promote germina¬
tion and cold weather may follow and kill the plants. After
making a fair balance, we conclude to advise the practice of
sowing early, the advantage on the average being so great as
to render the necessary risk a matter of comparatively small
consequence.

From the first appearance of the young plants, thinning
and weeding must be regularly performed. The ground may
be occasionally chopped over with the hoe to keep the surface
open to sun and shower, but excessively careful raking, in¬
tended to make the surface as fine as snuff, is to be avoided
as a waste of labour for a bad result, and watering is to be
avoided too, unless the soil is poor, and the weather unusually
hot and dry, in which case a plentiful supply will help the
plants greatly.

Some annuals, as the sweet pea for example, may be sup¬
plied with light stakes for support, and others, as the annual
chrysanthemums and scarlet flax, may be neatly trained to
light stakes. But all may be grown without artificial support,
and wherever it can be dispensed with, we should save the
time, and obtain a more pleasing display, than by the most
careful staking. This dictum must be taken cum grctno. We
are no advocates for slovenly gardening, but for promoting
the highest development of everything taken in hand, and
allowing each plant to express its character with as little
interference as possible. Even sweet peas, rapid climbers as
they are, may be allowed to trail over a sunny knoll without
a stick to help them, and, if they have but room enough, will
make a beautiful rustic sheeting of healthy leafage and bril¬
liant flowers.

In the display of annuals there is the same room for the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

191

exercise of taste as in the display of any other kinds of
flowers. The amateur may desire to have great variety, or
may prefer a few of the very finest sorts, and repeat them
again and again to produce a rich effect. In a garden fre¬
quented by a few interested observers, the first plan might
afford the most continuous and changing pleasure : in a garden
frequented by many, where plenty of colour is generally a
matter of first importance, the second plan would be the
best.

The simple system thus far sketched out is the best for
general purposes, but for special purposes other plans may be
adopted. Thus we may sow all kinds of hardy annuals in
August, and a large proportion of them will germinate at
once, and make strong plants before winter, and bloom earlier
and stronger than those sown in spring. In this case a some¬
what poor and dry soil should be chosen, but really it matters
very little if the soil is cold and damp, for do we not see on
the worst of soils, and on the best alike, self-sown wallflowers,
mignonette, sweet peas, candytufts, and many other things
that have managed their own affairs in their own way, the
seeds having been shed in July, germinated in August, become
little green bushes by Christmas, and bonny flowering plants
in the month of May. In one part of our garden mignonette
is an established weed, and we have every year to thin out
the self-sown plants to six inches apart, or they would crowd
each other to death. The common wallflower haunts us in
the same manner, and we have to destroy hundreds every year
where this takes place. The soil is damp and cold, the aspect
north-east, and the bleakest anywhere within half-a-dozen
miles of the Bank of England, and the border is heavily shaded
by large trees. To sow annuals in] autumn cannot, therefore,
be so mad a procedure as some people profess to regard it ;
but perhaps they do so regard it because when they have
tried the experiment they have been too late , and the
miserable rains of October have caught their poor plants
just coming up, and have killed them clean off, as a silent
and bitter reproach for pretending to follow the book when
proceeding dead against its advices. We name the month of
August for sowing annuals to stand the winter, but in the
north July will be none too soon, whereas everywhere June
would be too soon, because June sown annuals will, if they
can (this is, yon know, weather permitting) flower nicely in

192

the amateur’s flower garden.

September and October. Thus you see we glide into another
expansion, and our only way of disposing of a great matter in
few words is to say that June is not a good time to sow
annuals of any sort. But a good sowing may be advanta¬
geously made at the end of May for late summer flowering,
and they must be kept liberally watered to prolong the season
of growth before flowering begins.

Next we expand the scheme into frame and pot- culture.
In great and grand gardens the cheapest and commonest
annuals are grown in pots for the embellishment of the con¬
servatory, and most beautiful are the tufts of nemophila,
schizanthus, and leptosiphon so produced. We are quite
among the fine arts now, and must beware of expanding this
chapter beyond reasonable limits. But it may be remarked
that as variety is charming everywhere, any greenhouse or
conservatory may be prettily embellished with annuals in pots
in the early months of the year, and especially at the time when
somewhat of a clearing out is made, and the house is rather
bare of embellishment, for camellias and acacias will be past
at the time the annuals flower, and they will contribute in a
most agreeable manner to the providing of a gay garden under
glass at a time when flowers are looked for, and there are as
yet but few in the open ground.

The advices offered on the saving of seeds of perennial
plants apply strictly to the saving of seeds of annuals. The
best general advice we can offer on the subject, however, is
that seeds should not be saved, but should be sedulously
removed as fast as they are produced, both to preserve the
order and brightness of the garden, and to prolong the display
of flowers. By carefully picking off all seed-pods the instant
the flowers fall from them, the plants will be encouraged to
continue in flower to the very end of the season, or, if they
do not hold out so long, it is very certain that twice 'as many
flowers may be obtained from any of them if the development
of seeds is prevented by constant suppression of them, than
in the opposite case of their being allowed to swell and ripen
naturally.

The amateur must always bear in mind that the multi¬
plication of annuals need not depend on seeds alone. Every
one of them may be multiplied by cuttings in precisely the
same manner as we have advised in respect of sweet-williams
and wallflowers. It is a question, of course, if it is worth

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

103

while, in any particular case, to resort to this method. Gene¬
rally speaking, seeds are to be preferred. But there will occa¬
sionally occur in a bed of annuals a plant, or many plants,
presenting distinct and desirable characters — it may be double
flowers or variegated leaves, or flowers of a different colour

GLOXIXIA-ELOWERED FOXGLOVE.

to the ordinary type — and the question will arise, Shall we
ever attain the like if we trust to seed ? In such a case, if
the thing is worth keeping, the blind shoots at the base
should be removed and struck, and a stock secured for future

194

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

use. This should be done on the instant of the discovery of
the value of the plant ; there must be no waiting until the
flowering is past, for then it may be forgotten, or the plant
may die. The practised cultivator, who has a taste for keep¬
ing a u good thing,” would indeed at once cut off the head of
the plant, and sacrifice the flowers, in order to obtain a free
growth of young shoots, making sure, too, of a few to begin
with, and having in view to cut and come again.

But what about Biennials ? These may be disposed of in
a general way, by saying that they are in all respects the
same as annuals, but usually do not flower until they have

passed through one winter ; and having flowered, they gene¬
rally die ; and therefore, like annuals, have to be renewed
from year to year. It is impossible to classify garden plants
strictly as annuals, biennials, and perennials ; for some so-
called annuals will live through the winter and flower again,
some so-called biennials will flower the same season that they
are sown, and very many will do so if they are sown early
on a gentle hotbed, and are coaxed along in frames, and
are planted out when they have attained to a good size. And
again, some so-called biennials last many years, and become

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

195

veritable perennials. The selection that follows includes such
species and varieties as for their beauty or perfume are de¬
sirable in every garden where annuals are grown. The list
may be extended immensely if “ all the good things” are
included, but for general purposes a short list is better than
a long one, and almost every plant named will suggest to
those who take an interest in them, others of the same genus
or species, that are equally worthy of cultivation, but which
are omitted simply because we must not only begin some¬
where, but also make an end somewhere.

A SELECTION OF HARDY ANNUAL AND BIENNIAL
FLOWERS.

Front Row (averaging six inches high). — Asperula azurea ,
lilac and blue. Campanula pentagonia , purple. Collinsia Bartsioe-
folia alba , white.

JEschscholizia te -
nuifolia , yellow.

Gilia tricolor ,
white and purple.

Godetia replans ,
white and purple.

Kaulfussia amel-
loides , beautiful
blue. Leplosiphon
androsaceus , lilac,
and L. densijlo-
rus, purple ; L.
roseus , very beau¬
tiful rose. Bese-
da odorata , sweet-
scented mignon¬
ette . Malcomia
maritima , Virginian stock, white and rose. Nemophila
insignis , beautiful pale blue, and N. insignis alba , white.
Oxalis rosea , exquisitely beautiful, bright rose, a tender
plant, flowering late when sown on the border. Bor-
tulacca , various, exceedingly brilliant when grown on a dry,
sunny, sandy knoll. Sanvitalia procumbens , yellow. Sapo -
naria calabrica , pink ; 8. calabrica alba , white — two of the gems
of the annual border. Silene pendula, rose, a delightful plant.

LEPTOttlPilON 1103EUS.

196

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Second Row (averaging 12 to 15 inches). — Brachycome
iberidifolia, a neat bedding plant, blue. Galliopsis Englemanni ,
golden. Calandrinia Burridgi , rose : this represents a splendid
family. Campanula Lorei , blue ; extremely pretty. Chrysan¬
themum carinatum , yellow and brown ; C. flavum, gold ; C.
venustum, purple and yellow : a fine group. Clarkia pulchella,
rose, and 0. integripetcda , rosy crimson, represent a fine family,
which should be grown in plenty. Collinsia bicolor, purple and
white ; 0. multicolor , crimson and white ; lovely plants of free
growth and abundant bloom. Delphinium ajacis , Larkspur,
white, pink, blue, and purple ; the blew Dwarf Rocket and
Candelabra Larkspurs are the best for the second row. Del¬
phinium cardiopetalon , blue. Dianthus chinensis in great va¬
riety, all of them splendid plants for masses, making a good
show when sown on the open border. Eschscholtzia Calfornica,
yellow, and E. crocea , orange, showy and neat, apt to become
weeds like mignonette and cornflower. Eucharidium gran-
diflorum , red. Eutoca viscida , blue. Gilia achillaefolia alba ,
white ; G . capitata, blue. Godetia Bindley ana, purple. Giypso -
phila elegans, white, fine for bouquets. Helichrysum elegans,
fine yellow everlasting. Iberis umbella , the Candytuft, in
variety ; the white, crimson, and purple are splendid things
when well grown, but they are usually ruined for want of
thinning. Ipomcea tricolor , dwarf convolvulus, white, blue,
lavender, etc. ; these make fine tufts, and answer well to cover
the ground among standard roses — the flowers always look to
the south. Bimnanthes Douglasi, white and yellow. Linum
grandiflorum , crimson Flax, a splendid plant. Lupinus affinis ,
blue and white ; L. luteus , yellow and sweet-scented ; L. sub-
carnosus, blue. Mathiola bicornis , the Night-scented stock, has
no beauty, but is highly prized for its delicious perfume in
the later hours of the day. Mignonette , the large-flowering
and the red-flowering, belong to the second row, being more
bushy and taller than the common mignonette. Nemophila
maculata , white and purple. OEnothera tetraptera , white. Fa-
paver Bhceas nanus, dwarf double poppy, very showy for second
row. Silene orientalis , rose. Specularia speculum, Venus’s
Looking-glass, lilac and white. Statice spicata , rosy pink.
Omphalodes linifolia, Venus’s navelwort, blue. Viscaria oculata ,
rose ; V. elegans picta , carmine. Whitlavia grandiflora, blue.

Third Row. — (2 to 24 feet). — Amaranihus caudatus, Love-
lies-bleeding, red ; Calliopsis Burridgi , crimson, fine ; Calan-

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN*

197

drinia grandiflora , purple ; C. Drummondi , yellow and brown ;
Campanula attica , violet; (7. media, white, rose, and blue:
there are seven distinct and fine varieties. Centaur ea cyanus ,
Cornflower, various ; (7. depressa, blue ; (7. moscliata , Sweet Sul¬
tan, various; Chrysanthemum Burridgeanum , yellow and crim¬
son ; (7. atrococcineum , crimson ; (7. purpureum , purple : a fine
group. Clarkia elegans , lilac ; C. elegans plena , double rose.
^Delphinium ajacis , tall Rocket Larkspur, various : JD. chinenis,
a splendid blue-flowering annual or biennial. Erysimum Peroff-
skianum , orange, fine. Godetia rosea, rose ; (7. Whitneyi , crim¬
son. Helichrysum
hracteatum, various.

JT. brachyrhynchium ,
yellow and brown.

Hibiscus Africanus ,
straw and brown.

Lupinusroseus, rose.

As Tilin gi, fine
yellow. (Enothera
. bistorta Veitchiana ,
yellow and crim¬
son. Pap aver rhoeas9
French and Pasony-
flowered Poppy,
various and very
, but soon
over. Salpiglossis
coccinea, scarlet; S.
variabilis, various.

TPafc’n aurea, gold.

Xeranthemum an -

nuum , various.

Fourth Row (3
to 5 feet). — Agros -
temma coronaria , rose. Amaranthus cruentus, purple red ; .4.
speciosus , deep crimson; A hypochondriacus , the Prince’s
Feather, purplish red. Calliopsis bicolor, yellow and brown ;
(7. lanceolata, yellow. Eigitalis purpurea , Foxglove, purple ;
there are several fine varieties, that named gloxinioeflora per¬
haps the best : it is figured at page 193. Gypsophila gigantea ,
white, useful for bouquets. Helianthus argyrophyllus, yellow.
Malope grandiflora, crimson ; J/. grandiflora alba , white.

198

TEE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

Fifth Row (6 feet and upwards). — Helianthus grandiflorus ,
yellow ; H. macrophyllus , yellow ; II. Californicus , yellow ;
H. orgycdis , yellow : four noble sunflowers well adapted for
half- wild sunny places, but not for the best border. Hera-

cleum giganteum , the giant
cow-parsnip, a magnificent
biennial for a half-wild spot,
especially in damp soil. Ipo-
mcea purpurea, the major con¬
volvulus, one of the loveliest
of twiners, various, ten feet.
Lathy rus odor atics, the sweet-
pea, is quite hardy and may
to* be sown with other annuals in

the open border in February.
Amongst many fine varieties,
the “Invincible Scarlet” must
be named as one of the best,
six feet. Loasa aurantiaca ,
orange, six feet.

Hardy Annuals best

ADAPTED FOR SOWING IN AU¬
GUST. — Calliopsis tinctoria ,
C. Aildnsoniana , Centaurea
cyanus , Cladanthus Arabians,
ClarJcia elegans, G. pidchella,
Collinsia bicolor, G. verna,
Convolvulus tricolor. Delphi¬
nium ajacis, D. consolida,
Erysimum Perojfshianum,
Eschscholtzia Californica , JE.
tenuifolia, Gilia tricolor, Gode-
tia rubicunda , G. lepida, Iberis
nmhellata, Leptosiphon luteus ,
Limnantlies Douglasi , Mal-
comia maritima, Nemophila
insignis, N. maculata , Platy-
stemon Calif or nicum, Saponaria calabrica, Silene pendida, Whit-
lav i a grandiflora.

Annuals that bear transplanting well may be advantageously
grown for the purpose in turf-pits, the seeds being sown in
August on a shallow bed of poor soil on a hard bottom.

BIIMULTJS TILING!.

TI1E amateur's flower garden.

199

Autumn-sown stocks, nemophilas, silenes, collinsias, erysi¬
mums, and clarkias are particularly useful when raised in this
way and kept through winter, with no more protection than
just suffices to preserve them from injury by frost. The best
form of turf-pit is here figured, and the necessary directions
for its construction may be given in few words. The mate¬
rials required are some good larch poles, some rough planking,
a good stock of turf, and a sufficient number of strong frame-
lights or sashes of a
proper size. Mark
out the place for the
pit, choosing a dry
slope facing the south,
if possible, for damp is a greater enemy than frost to all
unheated structures. For a substantial working pit of good
capacity, the following inside measurements are here re¬
commended : — Twelve feet long, five feet wide, three feet
deep at the back, two feet in the front. Having marked
out the ground, dig it out to a depth of twelve inches,
so that the inside of the pit will be that depth below the
level of the ground outside; then drive in short poles
at the four corners, and attach a rough plank along the edge
of the excavation all round, against which to lay the first
layer of turves. Then dividing the twelve feet space into
three equal parts, drive in four other stout poles for the sash
pieces to rest on, and then begin to pile the turves. These are
to form four solid walls to be laid down level with the ground
outside, neatly built up, beginning by laying them close to the
rough planking round the pit till level with the top of the
poles. If the walls are six inches thick they have sufficient
solidity, but they may be eight or nine inches with advantage.

When these are
completed, trim
them off neatly
where they re¬
quire it, observing
that the summit
should slope a little downward, to throw off rain and
prevent any trickling into the pit; and also let the out¬
side be as regular as possible, that wet may not lodge
anywhere. A labourer accustomed to the handling of turf
would complete this part of the job in a few hours, and

200

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

finish it off as neatly as a brick-built wall. Then, for tho
sashes to rest on, nail a strip of board of sufficient width
to lap over the turf to carry off rain ; and fit three of the
ordinary three and a half feet sashes, well painted and glazed,
and your pit is complete.

To complete the pit for the reception of plants, make a bed
of clean-sifted coal-ashes inside to plunge the pots in, or lay
down a bed of brick rubbish, and on that one foot depth of
sandy loam for the plants. During severe weather thatched
hurdles would be the most useful covering to assist in keeping
out frost. Pits of this kind are not only valuable in winter
for preservative purposes, but in spring, when cleared out,
they are useful for raising annuals and early vegetables for
planting out. Two feet well-worked dung, with six inches of
mould on the top, would make hotbeds of them at once : and
during the whole year round, they could be kept in active use*
and if well made at first would last a lifetime.

C-ABDEIT SATE IN CHINESE STYLE,

CHAPTER X.

THE ROSE GARDEN.

It is necessary to the completeness of this work that it should
contain at least one chapter on the cultivation of the rose.
But it is not necessary that any elaborate disquisition should
be attempted ; for although the subject invites us to be diffuse,
and is known to be exhaustless, very much of useful informa¬
tion may be conveyed in a few words, and it is part of an
author’s duty to take quick and comprehensive views of
things in the preparation of a small volume on a large subject.

We will first suppose that the reader has a garden of
some extent, and would gladly institute a feature in the form
of a rosarium, or compartment devoted exclusively to roses.
We begin by presenting a plan for the purpose, which may be
adopted in its integrity, or modified by a little careful mani¬
pulation. It must be understood, however, that this is not a
fancy sketch, that may be altered ad lib ., as a mere design on
paper; it is a plan of a rosarium that we have ourselves
formed and planted, and found sufficient for our own enjoy¬
ment, and the satisfaction of a few critical friends who are
known to be half mad on the subject of roses. The plan is
drawn on a scale of twenty-four feet to one inch, and, if carried
out on that scale, would require an oblong plot of land mea¬
suring about 140 feet in length by 90 to 100 feet in breadth.
It consists of an oval occupied with grass and roses, enclosed
with a parallelogram of hornbeam, or clipped yew, or of
mixed plantation. In the centre is a basin of water fifteen
feet in diameter : this is enclosed with a low fence of common
China roses, very carefully trained. A fountain might be
appropriately introduced here. The walk round the basin
opens into four main cross walks five feet wide, and four
secondary walks three feet wide, which communicate with
the oval walk within the boundary of the trellis, four feet

202

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

wide. The spaces between these walks are filled in with
grass turf, in the four largest compartments of which are
small horseshoe-shaped beds, filled with dwarf China roses.
Four suitable sorts would be, Belle de Florence , Eugene Beau -
harnais , Henry V., and Napoleon. The rustic trellis is clothed
with free-growing Perpetual, Noisette, and Tea-scented roses
in variety, affording space for about forty plants. The ten-
feet wide belt between the trellis and the outer elliptical
boundary walk is embellished with narrow scroll beds filled
with dark dwarf China roses in distinct masses of colour on
a flat groundwork of light China roses of only four sorts, one
sort in each compartment. For the eight scrolls, the following
sorts would be suitable, one sort in each scroll, namely, Abbe
Mioland , Cramoisie Hblouissante , Cramoisie Superieur , Fabvier ,
Henry V.^Marjolin de Luxembourg , Bresident d’Olbecgue, Prince
Charles. For the four small shield-shaped beds between the
scrolls the little Noisette Fellenberg would be suitable, or the
crimson miniature China rose. Four sorts of light China roses
will be required to fill in the groundwork, and there could not
be a better selection than Mrs. Bosanquet , Aimee Plantier ,
Alexina, and Madame Bureau .

Beyond the outer elliptical walk are four spaces filled with
grass turf, forming the corners within the shrubbery boun¬
daries. In each of these is a bed six feet wide, in the shape
of a letter L, affording room in each for one centre row of
mixed standard roses between two rows of mixed bush roses,
all of them Hybrid Perpetuals. The ovals are filled with
mixed bush roses. In each of the four compartments there
are three specimen trees, which may be conifers, but it would
be preferable to adopt standard weeping Ayrshire roses, and
gigantic bushes of Alba roses to form distinct and striking
features. Instead of a boundary of hornbeam or yew, a
palisade of climbing roses, or a plantation of bushes and
standards mixed might be adopted.

The question will occur where should such a garden be
formed, within view of the windows, or far away ? We reply,
4 6 far away for a rose garden should be in its season a wonder
to be sought, as, when its season is past, it is a wilderness to
be avoided, except by the earnest cultivator, who will never
cease to bestow on his roses all the care they require, asking
his friends to admire them, and share with him the joy of
their blooming when they are at their very best, and vindicate

DESIGN 3? OR ROSE GARDEN.

204

THE AMATEURS FLOWER GARDEH.

in their own magical, bountiful way, the devotion of their
owner to their ways and wants.

The most simple form of rosarium will suit the majority of
our readers, no doubt, and we advise those who do not require
an elaborate plan to form on a part of the lawn farthest re¬
moved, and if possible hidden from the house, a few large
beds in a group, and plant them with Perpetual roses, always
giving the preference to dwarf bushes rather than to standards ;
because, generally speaking, bushes (especially if on their own
roots), thrive in a more satisfactory manner than standards,
and produce a far greater profusion of flowers. But here we
must face the grave question, why one form of rose should be
preferable to another, and we must attempt an answer in
order to start the beginner in rose-growing fairly on the road
to success.

There are many modes of multiplying the roses ; but for
all general purposes we need only notice three of them. The
standard roses commonly met with, are obtained by inserting
buds of named roses on the young shoots of English briers in
the month of July. The operation is called “ budding,” and
constitutes an important mystery of the rose craft. Bush
roses are obtained by the budding process ; but an Italian
brier, known as the Manetti rose, is employed for the purpose.
It is a free-growing, very free-rooting, bluish-leaved brier not
adapted to form standards, but well suited for bush roses if
the buds are inserted very low down, in fact immediately over
the roots of the briers, so that when they grow they will spring
as it were from the ground, instead of from the stems in which
they are inserted. Both bush and standard roses may be
obtained on their own roots by striking cuttings or buds, or
making layers of named roses, and the month of July is the
best season in all the year for these operations.

Brier Boses are admirably adapted for deep loamy and
heavy clay soils. In any and every case the ground intended
to be planted with roses should be well drained, and if the
subsoil is anything approximating to a clay or deep rich loam,
brier roses may be planted with a fair prospect of success. To
make brier roses is a simple matter enough, when you know
how, but very mysterious short of that point. In the “ Bose
Book ” ample instructions are given for the multiplication of
roses in all possible ways ; but here we must cut the matter
short by saying that the art of budding may be learnt in five

TOE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

205

minutes on tlie ground with the help of the demonstrations
and explanations of one who is somewhat expert in perform¬
ing it, hut will be very slowly apprehended by the best written
instructions, however freely illustrated and “ adapted to the
meanest capacity.”

Manetti Roses are adapted for all soils and situations;
but have an especial value for gravelly, chalky, and worn-out
soils, because of the abundance of roots the Manetti brier
produces, and its consequent power of obtaining nourishment
in comparatively barren lands. When this stock is employed
for dwarf roses (and it is not suited for the production of
standards) the stems should be budded near the ground;
indeed a little of the earth should be removed to enable the
operator to insert the buds as low down as it is possible to
find a green lifting bark on which he can operate with a hope
of success.

Own-root Roses are, generally speaking, the most valuable
of all. They are such as have roots of their own, that is to
say, they are not obtained by budding or grafting, but by the
striking of buds or cuttings, or putting down layers ; in each
case the rose makes roots for its own sustenance, instead of
being made to depend on the roots of briers, manettis, or any
other stocks. Any one who has had a little experience in the
propagation of bedding plants ought to find it easy and agree¬
able work to produce a stock of own-root roses. There are many
modes of procedure open to the choice of the proficient. The
simplest of all methods may be described in a few words : —

There will be found on all the rose-trees in the middle of
July, a number of plump, young, green shoots of the same
year. As the seasons vary, so will the time vary for taking
cuttings ; and the best rule that can be given is, that they
should be taken when about half ripe, the wood being still
green but firm, for so long as it is decidedly soft and sappy it
is unfit. The selected shoots should be cut up into lengths of
about four inches each, and the lowest leaf should be removed.
The soft tops of shoots should either be cut off and thrown
away, or should be carefully struck in the same way that soft
bedding plants are, in pans filled with sand, in a rather strong,
moist heat. But the cuttings we have especially in view,
consisting (say) of young wood as thick as a goose-quill, in
lengths of four to six joints each, the lowest leaf only removed,
will not require heat, but will quickly make root if planted

206

tiie amateur’s flower garden*

thickly in a bed of sandy soil, or even in a bed of cocoanut-
fibre, and kept close and moist, without ever being very wet,
or in a hot, stifling atmosphere.

To make own-root roses from buds is not quite so easy as
to make them from cuttings. The first step is to obtain a lot
of precisely the same sort of buds as would be required for
budding briers. The next thing is to prepare them in the
same way, without removing the wood or the leaves. The
wood, indeed, may be removed, but it is waste of time to
remove it ; but if the leaf is removed the bud will simply die.
Having secured buds cut in the fashion of shields, without
removing the wood, and, above all things, without removing
the leaf that each must have when cut, plant these buds firmly
in pans filled with sand, or on a bed of light loam covered
with sand over a mass of fermenting material, or in a common
frame. All the leaves must stand up and be kept fresh by
frequent sprinkling, but there must be no slopping of water
amongst the buds, or they will rot: in fact, any excess of
moisture will ruin the best planned project for propagating
roses with equal certainty and rapidity with the total aban¬
donment of the cuttings or buds to drought, by an act of for¬
getfulness or intentional rose-murder.

To propagate by layers is the easiest plan of all ; but it is
impossible to make many roses in this way, because two or
three are the utmost number obtainable from a shoot, wThereas
by cuttings or buds a strong shoot will furnish material for
from twelve to twenty plants. But certainty may well compen¬
sate for lack of quantity with many readers ; and our advice
to lovers of roses who cannot see their way clear to strike
cuttings, is to make layers of them in July and August in
precisely the same way as carnations and picotees are layered.
Lastly, but not leastly : If you will wait until the middle of
September, you may then begin to multiply roses by what we
have designated “ the currant-tree system.” To make short
work of the subject, we may remark that roses may be struck
from cuttings precisely as currant-trees are struck ; but the
business should be attended to while the roses yet have green
leaves upon them. Many try this system and fail. It is all
their own fault, for they allow the proper season to pass by,
and suddenly make a rush at the propagating when the
season for the work is past. From the middle of September
to the end of October is the proper time for the practice of

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

207

the currant-tree system of multiplying roses, and if the work
is well done then, eighty per cent, of the cuttings will root.
People who are blessed with a spirit of patience and perse¬
verance may continue, or begin, to put in cuttings of roses
in the open ground or in frames all through the winter months,
say from November to February, and in favourable seasons
may be wonderfully successful. But the risk of loss is great,
and the only argument in favour of winter propagation is, that
in peculiarly sheltered spots, where an early bloom is desired,
winter pruning must be practised, and the prunings may be
turned to account to make stock, provided only that nature
will assist the enterprise. In the attempt to strike cuttings
after the turn of the year, a cold frame and a bed of cocoanut-
fibre and sand will be immensely serviceable. If the steady
bottom-heat of a propagating house can be secured, first lay
the cutting in a horizontal position, just covered with tan or
fibre, in a warm, moist place for a week or so, to promote the
formation of the “ callus,” and then insert them upright in
sandy stuff in a temperture of about 50°, a few degrees more
or less being of no consequence, provided only that the bed is
neither burning hot nor freezing cold.

The Choice op Boses. — For the decoration of the garden
the course of procedure should not be the same as when roses
are grown for exhibition. Elegance in the plant, and abund¬
ance of flowers, are the principal desiderata of garden roses.

We will consider the mechanical part first, and then the
floral. You will want standards and dwarfs to make a good
plantation, and in reckoning the quantity required, it will be
well to allow an average of two feet apart every way, and
there should be three or four dwarfs to every standard. If it
is but a small bed, your standards must not in any case exceed
four feet in height, and better if only three feet. But with
every increase of size in the plantation, you may take taller
and taller standards, planting them in the order of their heights
from front to back, if the bed has a front and a back.*
but from outside to the centre they should rise in height, if the
bed is to be viewed from all sides. They must be planted at
distances consistent with their several habits of growth- —
the strong- growing kinds two and a-half to five feet apart,
and the weak ones, such as we use for edging (say Fabvier
and its kin), eighteen inches apart. The effect to aim at is a
close rich mass of bush roses, with standards rising up out of

208

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

the mass in successive ranges of altitude, these standards
"being rather sparely sprinkled, too few being a better rule
than too many. You have but to select suitable sorts, and
prepare for them as here advised, and you shall have a
glorious display, and your standards will improve equally with
your bushes, even if you never give them one drop of water.
You know what our Lord said of the man who built his house
upon the sand. That applies not alone to the spiritual life of
man, but to every one of his worldly adventures. Begin well,
make the foundation safe, and you may hope to prosper.
Stick a rose-tree in a hole, and expect it to die ; plant it
properly, and it will pay you for your pains.

Now, as to the floral qualities. For garden roses we need
vigorous growers that are sure to flower freely, and that
will, for a considerable length of time, contribute to the gaiety
of the garden. The best garden rose is one that an exhibi¬
tor would despise : it is a Bourbon, named Lord Nelson . One
of the worst, is one that exhibitors used to make much of :
it is a Hybrid Perpetual, named Louis XIV. There is some¬
thing in making a good selection, depend upon it. We shall
not enumerate all the good roses for a garden display, but will
undertake that in this selection there shall not be a bad one.

A SELECTION OF GARDEN ROSES.

Standards. — Gloirede Dijon , Marechal Niel , Aimee Vibert,
La JBiche, Ophirie , Triomphe de Bennes, Bourbon Queen , Mere
de St. Louis , Louise cVArzens , Souvenir de la Malmaison , Anna
Alexiejf.

Vigorous Bushes. — Baronne Prevost , Charles Margottin,
Coquette des Alpes, Deuil de Prince Albert , Elizabeth Vig -
neron , Eugene Appert, General Jacqueminot , Gloire de Bucher ,
Glory of Waltham , Imperatrice Charlotte , Jules Margottin , La
Phone , Lord Nelson , Lord Palmerston , Madame de Cambaceres ,
Madame Domage, Madame Knorr , Mrs. John Berners , Pius IX.,
Sir Joseph Paxton , Souvenir de Ponsard , Triomphe de Caen.

Dwarfest for Front Lines. — Eellenberg , Eabviery Mrs.
Bosanquet , Madame Bureau , Common China.

Roses Pegged Down. — One of the most effective and
interesting modes of producing a fine display of roses is to
grow them on their own roots and the branches pegged
down. The management is very simple. A deep, rather rich,

CLIMBINC' HOSE-PRINCESS LOUISE VICTORIA.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

209

loamy soil is necessary, and the position selected for the bed
should be rather open, but not exposed to rough winds. As
a rule, where roses can be grown as standards or bushes,
they can be grown pegged down. The most important point
is to plant only those kinds which are known to do well, and
are on their own roots. The best of the large number of
varieties for this mode of culture, are William Griffiths ,
William Jesse , Charles Lefebvre , Anna Alexieff, Senateur
Vaisse , Alfred Colomb , Baronne Prevost , General Washington ,
General Jacqueminot, Jean Goujon , La Peine, and John
Hopper. This list, short though it is, contains the cream of
all the best varieties suitable for pegging down. Do not
plant worked roses, for if they are worked upon any stock,
the suckers from the stock will, sooner or later, come up and
overgrow the roses unless a continual warfare is waged
against them.

It does not matter much when they are planted out of
pots, but the most favourable months are October and April.
Whether planted in autumn or spring, let the surface of the
bed be well trodden soon after the planting is completed, as
the rose under all circumstances prefers a firm soil. Also
tread the surface every spring after the plants are pruned and
the beds forked over. If the plants are not more than a foot
high when planted, do not prune the first year, but simply
peg down the strongest growth. On the other hand, if they
are strong, with shoots two feet long and upwards, just take
off about eight inches of the points in March, as it is not
desirable to let the young plants have much old wood to
support- the first season. Aim at a vigorous growth, so as to
have plenty of flowering wood for the next year. The care¬
ful cultivator will take care that the plants do not want for
water the first summer after planting, but after that time
they are able to take care of themselves. Those who desire
to have fine blooms throughout the season, must cut off a few
inches of the flowering wood as soon as the first bloom is
over, and give the beds a thorough soaking of manure or
sewage water, every third or fourth day, for a short time.
After the application of the manure water, the plants will
soon start into a new growth, and furnish a supply of flowers,
if the weather is mild, until Christmas. They will be well
established in the soil in twelve months after planting, and
will grow away vigorously, sending up strong shoots three
or four feet in height. These must be pegged down in the

210

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

vacant spaces during the summer, to give the beds a neat
appearance. If more young shoots are made than are likely
to be wanted to cover the surface of the bed at a distance
of nine inches apart, cut away the weakest at once, but
do not peg down the young shoots until obliged to do
so. If done before the end of August, the lower buds
will most probably start into growth.

There must be a
fresh supply of young
wood every year, and
the old wood cut away
to make room for it.
A greater quantity and
finer blooms are obtained
from young wood than
from old.

Early in December
cut away the old wood,
and take away the
pegs from the young
growth, which has been
pegged down so as to
allow it to rise up a
little from the ground.
If kept closely pegged
to the surface, the shoots
are in mild winters in¬
fluenced by the warmth
of the earth, and start
into growth early, and
the risk is incurred of
injury by spring frost.
After the pruning is
completed, cover the
surface of the bed with
two or three inches of fat manure, and let it remain.

Early in March cut back all the shoots according to their
strength, the strongest to two feet and the weakest to twelve
or eighteen inches. This is quite long enough for plants that
are not more than two feet apart each way. The manure
which was put on in the winter, should then be forked in and
the beds well trodden as advised above.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

211

Thus far we have considered how to obtain roses in
quantity, and now quality must engage our attention. There
are certain principles common to rose culture in all the phases
and aspects of the art. Thus the rose loves a good, deep,
rich loam, plenty of moisture all the summer long, and a sur¬
face-dressing of manure every winter. All these leading
principles must be
observed in rose¬
growing for quality ;
but at a certain point
this branch of the
subject separates
from all the rest, and
we come abruptly
on certain excep¬
tional circumstances,
as will be seen by
the very next para¬
graph.

Exhibition Roses.

— The brier has been
condemned by the
writer of this again
and again, as utterly
unfit for common
use in the produc¬
tion of garden roses.

To speak of it truth¬
fully and collectively,
it may be said to be
the curse of the su¬
burban garden, for in
all small gardens we
see ghastly spectres
called “ standard roses the best of them are mops, the
worst are scarecrows. Row, good rosarians, bear in mind
from the very first, that the brier is your best friend ;
and if you go into rose-growing in earnest, you will not,
make much progress until you master the brier root and
branch, and know every pulse that throbs in the secret
chambers of its blood.” Yes, the brier is a grand agent in
the production of quality roses, and you must learn how to

212

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

plant it, how to bud it, how to transplant, keep, and improve it,
and, at last, how to cut from it the rose that shall bring you
golden honours in reward for all your toil. "Write it down
among things not generally known, that brier roses one year
budded will, if grown vigorously, and severely thinned,
furnish (generally speaking) finer individual blooms than any
other form of roses, and to these young briers you should
look for your supplies from year to year of roses for the ex¬
hibition table. Write down, again, that to keep up the stock
of the right sort of plants, you must plant young briers every
autumn, and bud those young briers every summer. Write it
down again, that, whereas garden roses should never be hard-
pruned, but allowed to grow freely, and bloom plentifully ;
hard-pruning and severe thinning-out of flower-buds must be
practised in the quarter where the show roses are grown.
Lastly, to quit these sweeping generalities, write it down,
that every separate variety has its own peculiar habit of
growth, and the Brier does not suit all alike, but some thrive
better on the Manetti, and others better on their Own Boots ;
and it is well to try every variety, every way, and have as
many strings to your bow as you can see and handle with
safety. The figures will indicate, in the obvious distinction
between old and young wood, how roses should be pruned for
the production of fine flowers.

In our practice, budding has well-nigh changed into sum¬
mer-grafting, as told ten years ago in the u Floral World,” and
set forth at length in the “Bose Book.” We bud and bud
as usual, if the bark rises nicely ; but if, as will happen in a
season of drought, the bark does not rise nicely, and the core
does not jump out and leave a clean shield, we leave the core
alone, and make a true graft of what would have been, in a
sap-running season, a genuine bud. This is a great stride in
practice, which perhaps only the advanced practitioner will
thoroughly understand, for it insures that all the briers to be
budded will be budded, and that, too, as suits our own con¬
venience, without standing still for rain and making a rush at
the work the moment a black cloud comes in sight. You
may see something in this to suit the philosophic humour,
and mayhap, may con over, while engaged in the delightful
task of marrying

u A gentler scion to the wildest stock/*

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

213

those lines of Spenser, in which he tells the secret of success
in every pursuit and aim of life : —

“ In vain do men

The heavens of their fortune’s fault accuse,

Sith they know best what is the best for them $

For they to each such fortune to diffuse
As they do know each can most aptly use.

For not that which men covet most is best,

Nor that thing worst which men do most refuse ;

But fittest is, that all contented rest

With that they hold : each hath his fortune in his breast.”

In selecting roses for quality, you must know in what
quality consists. You will soon discover that there are many
kinds of roses of kigli quality which revolve, as it were, like
planets around the central Ideal Rose that grows only in
the innermost chamber of the Amateur’s cerebrum. Every
individual rose, when you come to play critic, will be found to
have its own defects as well as its own excellences, and there
will be a separate reason, therefore, in every separate case for
growing that particular rose. To enter into a discussion of
properties, however, would carry us far beyond reasonable
limits, and therefore we make short work of this part of the
subject by a series of brief explanations of the terms em¬
ployed in the description of exhibition roses.

The leading contours of roses may be comprised under
the following heads : Globular, Reflexed, Expanded, Cupped,
and Half-cupped, or Tazza-shaped ; which forms will result
from the centre, the face, the profile, and the size, shade, and
depth of petal.

1st, The Globular is almost invariably double, and well-
formed, the centres being full of
small leaflets, the exterior petals
sometimes folded over at the
^ j/ points with great elegance and
J regularity, as in Chabrilland and
d Senateur Yaisse. A variety of
globular, this form sometimes arises from
the whole of the petals being incurved as in Madame Pierson
and Robert Eortune. The petals are large, and profile
deep.

2nd. The Reflexed has a high centre, from which the

ItEFLEXED.

214

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

petals turn ever, increasing in size to tbe outer row ; they
are sometimes imbricated, as in Madame Yidot ; profile deep.

3rd. The Expanded, is a modification of
tbe last, being larger in diameter, flatter
at tbe centre, and with a much shallower
profile.

4th. The Cupped is not always full. The

face is flat, and the outer petals large, holding
up, as it were, the interior ; profile deep.

5th. The Half-cupped or Tazza-shaped is more
expanded than the last, fuller in centre, and
larger in diameter ; it is in these
last two classes that deficiencies
in doubleness most frequently oc¬
cur fed. cur. This remark, however, docs
not apply to the Bourbons, which for the most tazza shaped.
part have excellent centres. The face is flattish, and the profile
somewhat shallow.

A SELECTION OF THE FINEST EXHIBITION ROSES.

H. P. means hybrid perpetual; N., noisette ; T., tea. All in the list are of extra size.

EXPANDED,

NAME.

CLASS.

RAISER.

DATE.

DESCRIPTIVE

REMARKS.

Louis Van Houtte .

11. P.

Lacharme

1869-70 crim. shad, black

Clemence Laoux .

5 9

Granger

light rose

Princess Christian .

W. Paul

rosy peach

Comtesse d ’ Oxford ......

Guillot pere

bright rosy tint

JSdouard Morren .

Granger

1868-69

rose

Julie Touvais .

Touvais

rose

Marquise de Montemart

Liabaud

tinted white

Nardy Freres.. .

Bucher

darkish rose, large

Madame J acquier

Guillot fils

purple and crim.

Miss Ingram . ...

Ingram

pale pinkish tinge

Fulee of Fdinburgh ...

Paul and Son

dark crim. scarlet

Victor de Lilian .

Guillot pore

rich rose

Thyra Hammerich .

Yictor Yerdier

pale rose

Leins Blanche .

Bamaizin

tinted white

Montjplaidr .

Bucher

J»

yellow and buff

Baroness Rothschild . . ,

II. P.

Pernet

1867-68

rose shaded white

Flie Morel . . .

Liabaud

rose

La France . .

Guillot fils

rose shaded white

Madame Noman _ .....

Guillot pere

tinted white

JPitord . .

Lacharme

deep red scarlet

Black Prince .

W. Paul

very dark

Jlorace Vernet .

Guillot fils

crimson scarlet

Annie Wood .

E. Yerdier

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 215

NAME.

CLASS. BAISEE.

DATE.

DESCEIPTIVE

EEMAEKS.

Monsieur Noman .

H. P,

, Guillot pere

1867-68

shaded rose

Brin. Mary of Cambridge

Paul and Son

pale rose

Helix Genero ... .

Damaizin

light crimson

Abel Grand .

Damaizin

1865-66

silvery rose

Alfred Colomb .

Lacharme

fiery red

Jean Lambert . .

E. Verdier

scarlet crimson

Marie Lady .

Fontaine pere

rose

Dr. Andry .

E. Verdier

1864-65

carmine crimson

Luchesse de Cayius ...

...

brilliant carmine

Marguerite de St. Am and

Amand

rosy flesh, superb

Xavier Olibo .

Lacharme

crimson and black

Marechal Niel . Tea or

) Pradel

golden yellow, su¬

Noisette )

perb

Alpaide de Lotalier . . .

H. P.

Campy

1863-64

pale rose

La Luchesse de Morny

E. Verdier

bright rose

Lord Macaulay .

W. Paul

crim. shaded black

Madame Victor Verdier

E. Verdier

carmine crimson

Marie Baumann .

Daumann

brilliant red

Bier re Notting .

Portemer

purple red, deep

Beauty of Waltham ...

W, Paul

1862-63

cerise

John Hopper . .

Ward

bright rose

Charles Lefebvre .

Lacharme

1861-62

crim. shad, purple

Madame C. Jon'gneaux

Liabaud

large bright rose

„ C. Wood

E. Verdier

vinous crimson

Maurice B ern ardin ...

V. Verdier

deep scarlet

Brince C. de Bohan ...

E. Verdier

crim. shad, black

Vicomte Vigier .

V. Verdier

purple crimson

Madame Hurtado .

V. Verdier

1860-61

rich rose

Senateur Vaisse .

Guillot pere

crimson scarlet

Victor Verdier .

Lacharme

brilliant rose

“ IIow much of memory dwells amidst thy bloom,
Hose ! ever wearing beauty for thy dower;

The bridal day, the festival, the tomb,

Thou hast thy part in each, thou stateliest flower.

Therefore with thy sweet breath come floating by
A thousand images of love and grief ;

Dreams filled with tokens of mortality,

Deep thoughts of all things beautiful and brief.

Hot- such thv spells o’er those that hailed thee first.
In the clear light of Eden’s golden day,

There, thy rich leaves to crimson glory burst,

Linked with no dim remembrance of decay.”

CHAPTER XL

TI1E AMERICAN GARDEN.

The money spent on rhododendrons during twenty years in
this country would nearly suffice to pay off the National Debt.
If the reader fails to apprehend the force of this remark, its
meaning may be reached through an inspection of all the
villa gardens of the country. In these villa gardens, that is
to say in a considerable proportion of them, will be found
numbers of perishing rhododendrons inhabiting common
borders, and associated with laurels, aucubas, hollies, and
such like ; all these other inmates of the borders being
perhaps in a thriving state, while the rhododendrons are
going, going, from their pristine buxom beauty to a condition
of shrunken starvedness that tells to sage beholders that their
death is near. The very bad practice of planting standard
roses on grass turf has its parallel in the equally bad practice
of planting rhododendrons in the common border, where,
unless by some peculiar accident the soil happens to suit
them, they must die, and in the process of dying become
hideous long-armed things that no one would wish to save.
It is a most important part of our business to warn the reader
against waste of money, and time, and hope, in ill-advised
adventures in the garden. We therefore protest against the
wasteful and ridiculous practice of treating the rhododendron
as adapted for any and every position in which a handsome
evergreen shrub may be required. No matter how cheap,
how common, or how hardy, this noble plant is peculiar in its
requirements, and must be humoured, or it will dwindle and
die. Deal with it aright, and it grows rapidly, flowers freely,
and becomes one of the grandest ornaments of the garden ;
but begin with it in the wrong way, and it can only serve ao an
evidence that somebody near at hand is not yet quite accom¬
plished in the art of gardening.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

217

The rhododendron represents a group of hardy shrubs of
the same botanical family, and immediate relatives of the
erica, all of which require a soil containing the least possible
proportion of the carbonates or salts of lime, and the greatest
possible quantity of humus and siliceous grit. The best soil for
the whole family is a peat containing much sand and much vege¬
table fibre ; but we are not restricted to peat, and it is by no
means adifficult matter to prepare soil for the shrubs of this class,
in districts where peat is not to be found. It must be under¬
stood that what are called “ American plants,” have extremely
fine hair-like roots, which are quite incapable of penetrating
a harsh soil such as clay or heavy loam. Therefore in a harsh
soil they die almost as surely as if planted in chalk or gypsum,
which are poisons to them ; but in mixtures of sand, leaf-
mould, and fine loam they will thrive, and almost any clean
pulverized product of vegetable decay may be added to a
sandy staple to prepare it for them. Kay, even stable manure,
thoroughly rotted to powder, may be employed as one ingre¬
dient in a mixture, though it is regarded as equally injurious
with lime and chalk, which it certainly is not if old and pow¬
dery, and employed in proportion not more than a sixth of the
whole bulk. A simple and cheap method of preparing a
substitute for peat may be resorted to in cases where old
upland pastures or common lands are being broken up. The
workmen should be required to take off, not the top spit, nor
even the ordinary thickness of a turf, but a skin consisting
almost wholly of the grass and its roots, the texture of which
should resemble thick felt, or carpeting. The skinning process
is accomplished by means of the broad end of the pick, by a
chipping process, with great rapidity after a little practice.
If this skin is laid in small heaps in the full sun, the grass
withers instantly, and the stuff may be used at once. We have,
indeed, used it as fast as it was removed, having it chopped
into pieces of the size of one’s hand, and mixed with one-
third of its bulk of sharp sand or sandy gravel, and have at
once planted rhododendrons in the mixture, and had the
satisfaction of seeing them years afterwards grown to lusty
giants, and renowned in the district for their glorious appear¬
ance when in flower. In any case, whether the soil on the
spot will be sufficient, or a mixture is prepared or peat pur¬
chased, a depth of not less than two feet must be provided, and
it will be better practice to make the beds four feet deep, not

218

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

because tlie roots of American plants penetrate deeply, for, in
truth, they do not, but to secure a constantly moist under¬
crust, for shallow beds of peat or sandy mixtures become as
dry as so much pebbles during the heat of the summer, and
the result is, serious injury to the American plants.

All these plants bear partial shade well, but an open
position is always to be preferred for them, because their
flowering depends on the perfect ripening of the young wood.
Shelter is desirable, and hence the American garden should,
if possible, be formed on the south or south-west side of a
shrubbery or woodland. We frequently meet with large
clumps of rhododendrons in entrance-courts, and if they are
but good of their kind, they are the most appropriate of all
our hardy shrubs for the embellishment of such a spot. Their
attitudes and solid dark green heads and their magnificent
flowers constitute them proper for front court, terrace, and
lawn shrubs, and in all those highly-dressed positions rhodo¬
dendrons should be chiefly adopted — that is, if American
plants are employed at all — because of their orderly growth
and massive appearance. The hardy Azaleas are deciduous,
which in part unfits them for the front-court and terrace.
The Kalmia is capricious, and should never be planted in any
quantity or in any important position, until it has been tried
and found to answer. A deep, gritty peat, abounding in
vegetable fibre, and a position exposed to all weathers, are
conditions favourable to the prosperity of the Kalmia, which
is useless when planted in make-shift soils, or in smoky or
shady localities. The Ericas love sand, and will thrive in
mere gravel if deep enough ; but any soil that suits the rhodo¬
dendron will answer for them, especially if they are planted
in the first instance in a mixture of good sandy peat to give
them a fair start. As for Andromeclas, Ledums, and the
rest of the beautiful and interesting plants of this family, all
that need be said about them is, that they appear to better
advantage when planted to form outside belts to masses of
rhododendrons, azaleas, and kalmias, than when put into com¬
partments by themselves.

In planting American shrubs it is desirable to plant thick
enough to produce an effect at once, not only because they
are planted for effect, but also because they thrive better
when they cover the ground and by their own leafage check
evaporation. Kow to do this need not be so costly a business

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

219

>ESIGN FOR AN AMERICAN GARDEN,

220

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

as it will for the moment appear to the reader, who remembers
that some of the choicer kinds of rhododendrons are sold at
ten to thirty shillings for a very small plant, and large trees
of the more esteemed varieties are sold at from twenty to
fifty pounds each. Good unnamed seedling plants may be
obtained at from thirty to fifty shillings per dozen, and first-
rate named kinds at from half-a-crown to ten shillings a plant.
For thickening new plantations there is nothing better than
the common B. jponticmn , which may be obtained at from
fifteen to fifty shillings per hundred, according to size. In
planting them in belts or beds, or long sweeping lines, no
great depth of plants is necessary to create bold effects,
because, from the dense leafage and tendency to flower freely,
and the immense trusses of bloom they produce, three, or at
the most four, plants deep, when they have arrived to a good
flowering size, will be enough. When marking out the
positions, the planter ought to have a sufficient knowledge of
the varieties to foresee at what distances they may be planted,
so that they do not require moving and rearranging after four
or five years. In fact, the positions of the named varieties
ought to be permanent ; and the cheaper kinds that are em¬
ployed for filling should be removed as soon as ever they can
be spared. This is far better than planting all the good kinds
thick enough to form the beds at once, and then having to
move and rearrange the whole again in a few years.

The plan presented at page 219 is adapted to a spot an acre
in extent, but it may be (although less effective) reduced to half
an acre. If one acre could be spared, it would constitute a
grand and noble feature where its dimensions could be carried
into effect without cramping or disfiguring the outlines. It
may appear at first sight that the extent of grass is too great ;
but, knowing how effective these subjects are, we are quite
sure there is only just enough greensward shown to create a
perfect harmony when the trees are in flower. The beds
should be planted chiefly with the very best of the rhodo¬
dendrons, with here and there an azalea, and a few hardy
heaths for variety. The outside plantations should have a
back row of rhododendrons, and a mixture of azaleas, rhodo¬
dendrons, kalmias, hardy heaths, and andromedas in front.
A few conifers may be placed singly on the grass, as shown on
the plan, to give lightness and variety and afford key-points
to the scene.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN".

221

FIFTY SELECT HARDY RHODODENDRONS.

Alarm , Album elegans, Album grandijlorum , Archimedes ,
Atrosanguineum, Bar clay anum, Blandyanum , Brayanum , Byl-
sianum , Charles Dickens , Concession, Cruentum , Delicatissima ,
Elfrida, Everestianum , Fastuosum flore-pleno, Francis Dickson ,
Guido , Hogarth , John Spencer , John Waterer , Lady Armstrong ,
Lady Clermont , Lady Eleanor Cathcart , Lady Francis Crossley ,
Lord John Bussell , Lucidum , Maculatum superbum , Magnum
Bonum , Milnei, Minnie, Mrs. John Glutton, Mrs. John Waterer ,
Jirs. jR. $. Holford , Mrs. William Bovill, Ne Plus Ultra,
Nero, Perfection, Purity, Boseum elegans, Boseum grandijlorum ,
Standard of Flanders, Stella , Slierwoodianum , The Queen, The
Warrior , Titian , Victoria, William Austin , William Downing.

A SELECTION OF HARDY AZALEAS.

Amoena, Ardens, Aurantia major, Bessie FLoldaway , Galen -
dulacea eximia, Coccinea major, Coccinea speciosa, Cuprea,
Cuprea splendens , Elector , Elegans, Florentine, Fulgida, Gloria
Mundi, Invictissima, Marie ] Dorothe, Marie Verschaffelt, Mira -
Nancy Waterer, Prince Frederick , Speciosa atrosanguinea ,
Straminea , Sulphur ea, Van FLoutte, Viscocephala.

A SELECTION OF AMERICAN PLANTS FOR EDGING PURPOSES.

The following are eminently desirable for forming dwarf
belts round beds occupied with hardy azaleas and rhodo¬
dendrons : — Andromeda jloribunda, A. formosa, A. pulverulenta ,
Daphne cneorum majus, Erica cinerea alba grandiflora, E. c.
atropurpurea , E. c. coccinea, E. c. rubra, E. herbacea cctrnea ,
E. vagans carnea, E. v. rubra, E. c. v. alba, Menziesia polifolia
alba, M. p. atropurpurea , Kalmia angustifolia glauca, K. a.
rubra, K. glauca, K. g. superba, K. latifolia major splendens,.
1C. 1. myrtifolia, Ledum buxifolium, L. thymifolium, Pernettya
mucronata , Polygala chamcebuxus, Vaccinium frondosum venus -
turn, V. ligustrifolium, Calluna vulgaris, C. v. coccinea , C.
alba, C. v. aurea, C. v. flore-pleno .

CHAPTER XXL

THE SUBTROPICAL GARDEN.

The u subtropical garden,” as at present understood in this
country, is an importation from Paris, of limited, and indeed
almost questionable value. Considered in close accordance
with its designation, it requires us to expose to the common
atmosphere, and to all possible changes of weather, any and
every kind of stove plant that, owing to its distinctive out¬
lines, or brilliant colours, may be considered suitable for pur¬
poses of outdoor embellishment. We may set apart a plot of
ground for the purpose, and having crowded it with cannas,
palms, tree-ferns, caladiums, begonias, and other elegant and
valuable stove and greenhouse plants, pronounce the affair a
subtropical garden. It may be a good or a bad example, as taste
and judgment have or have not been employed in its production,
and we may premise that, unless taste and judgment are
employed, the subtropical garden is likely to prove the most
ludicrous of all possible garden failures. In the first con¬
sideration of the subject, it will be well to adhere to the
contracted signification of the term “ subtropical,” in order
to arrive at something like a clear perception of its bearings
on matters practical. We are required, say, to embellish a
garden with plants many degrees more tender than our
familiar geraniums, verbenas, and petunias, and we may
reasonably expect to find the task increasingly troublesome
and hazardous, in direct proportion to the tenderness of the
subjects that it is proposed to employ. We may first reflect
with advantage that this is a sub-arctic clime ; the summer
is seldom in any sense established before Midsummer Day ;
that for subtropical plants its duration extends to two months
at the utmost ; and that night frosts have actually occurred,
and have been registered both on thermometers and the face
of nature, in the usually sunny months of June, July, and

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

223

August. It follows of necessity that the more we trust to
tropical or subtropical plants for the embellishment of the
flower-garden, the greater is the risk we incur that, instead of
embellishing, we shall disfigure it. What the season is to be,
we never know in time to make minute and special prepa¬
ration for it, and a cold wet summer will damp our ardour,
while it destroys the tender plants which in an hour of
exceptional sunshine we may have drafted into the sub¬
tropical garden. The employment of tender plants for pur¬
poses of outdoor embellishment is a task that corresponds
in degree of difficulty with the degree of tenderness of the
plants employed. The nearer we go to the tropics for mate¬
rial, the nearer do we verge towards the impossible in the
endeavour to adapt them to the average conditions of a
British summer. In reference to some of the so-called sub¬
tropical plants, we may employ an Americanism to indicate
the difficulty that attends their cultivation in the open air, by
saying that it takes two men and a boy to hold one up ; for,
to speak the plain truth, many of the plants that we find in
full fig in subtropical gardens are not worth, as they stand, a
tenth part of the labour it has cost to place them there. A
great musa torn to ribbons by angry winds, for example, may
be likened in its sad fate to a magnificent passage of Shakes¬
peare, which some noisy novice has just mouthed in coster¬
monger tone to a “ discerning public.” But we are not to
condemn subtropical gardening on account of the many men
and boys required to hold it up, because it is a new thing,
and we must always expect mistakes in the region of expe¬
riment, and in this case mistakes are scarcely less instructive
than successes ; for if the last teach us what to eat and drink
in the way of vegetable beauty, the first wTill teach us v/hat to
avoid.

Gardening is always more or less a warfare against nature.
It is true we go over to the “ other side ” for a few hints,
but we might as well abandon our spades and pitchforks as
pretend that nature is everything and art nothing. Our gar¬
dens are crowded with the plants of other climes, and these
for the most part can only live so long as art supports them,
for nature would soon kill them out, and plant their graves
with chickweed, if left to her own sweet will. Therefore in
subtropical gardening art is everything, and the artist must
begin by preparing for his purposes an artificial soil and an

224

tiie amateur’s flower garden.

artificial climate. Mr. Gibson has shown by his magnificent
examples of subtropical gardening in Battersea and Hyde
Parks, how to provide for the roots of subtropical plants a
warmer soil and a more equable and genial climate than
nature offers the artist for his work. By means of raised
banks and mounds resting on a porous substratum of brick
rubbish, the heat of the sun is caught and imprisoned in the
soil; and by means of judiciously-disposed plantations of
large-leaved deciduous trees, such as poplars, planes, and
sycamores, the cold winds have their sharp edges blunted, and
the protected region enjoys a more still and more genial
atmosphere than the common world without, where the native
flora takes its chance of storm or calm, of rain, and snow,
and drought, of frost and sunshine. When we consider that
subtropical plants require, in some cases, careful keeping in
warm berths during winter, or careful raising from seed in
spring, and in all cases careful preparation of the soil below
and the air above for their tender nourishing when planted
out, there can be no violence in pronouncing the general
deduction that subtropical plants are not everybody’s plants,
and those who contemplate an indulgence of the new and
extravagant fashion should count the cost and “ cut the coat
according to the cloth.” Bind the proper place and suitable
means and talent equal to the task, and we shall be very
grateful for an example of subtropical gardening, — first,
because of a change away from the intensely strong flat
colouring which has become obnoxiously popular; and,
secondly, because we can better compare, and criticise, and
enjoy the various characteristics of plants that are chosen
princi pally for beauty of form : for in truth it is but seldom
we can grasp the whole expression of a plant when we are
restricted in our contemplation to a view of it under glass.

When we have made some progress in the artistic dis¬
position of palms, ferns, and musas in the open ground, we
shall not be slow to discover that many hardy plants may be
associated with them to the advantage of artistic effect. Thus
subtropical gardening always tends to subarctic gardening ;
for the true artist, to whom effect is everything and materials
nothing, except as means to an end, will be always seeking
for hardy plants equal in distinctive beauty, and all the inte¬
rest that for the artistic eye belongs to form as apart from
colour, to the most truly tropical or subtropical ; and happy

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

225

will be if some hedgerow fern or hemlock of the arctic
marshes shall prove to be worthy of a place in the garden, in
the same compartment in which tree-ferns, and palms, and
castor- oil plants and
wigandias are the
proper subtropical oc¬
cupants. Thus we pass
from the subtropical
garden to a garden of
some other kind, in
which “ beauty of
form” is the prime
consideration, and the
money value, equally
with the native habitat
of a plant, are matters
of no consequence at
all. But, then, if we
get away from the ori¬
ginal idea, we may as
well abandon the ori¬
ginal designation. The
proper name for the
style of gardening
which employs tender
and hardy plants alike,
and cares nothing for
the country, kindred,
or money value of any
while sensitively an¬
xious for beauty of a
distinctive kind — the
proper name for such
a style is the Pictu¬
resque Flower Garden;
for picturesque effects
are aimed at, and flow¬
ers are always required
to lightthemup. Let us
henceforth call this the Picturesque Flower Garden, as di&
tinct from the highly-coloured flower garden, and the larger
subject of decorative gardening which embraces all styles and

SORGHUM BICOLOR.

226

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

fashions, will be advanced a stage at least in its nomen¬
clature. This is a subarctic climate certainly, but one of the
most wonderful of its class on the face of the earth, if we
may judge it by the thermometer on the one hand, and by
the wonderful and vast variety of vegetable beauty which it
is found possible to display in our gardens, brief as may be
the period during which many of them continue in a pre¬
sentable and effective condition.

In the construction of a subtropical garden it is desirable
to select a sheltered spot lying open to the south, and to
separate it by suitable planting from other parts of the
grounds to constitute a separate feature. In design it may be
either extremely simple or highly fantastic, provided that the
plants are so placed that they will be likely to thrive and so be
worth seeing, and also that the design is favourable to the dis-

THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN,

227

play of their several characteristics. As the beds in which the
more tender subjects are disposed will be raised above the
general level, and screened by belts of trees and shrubs, a few
bold open slopes of grass turf moderately enriched with clumps
of cannas, erythrinas, ricinus, and ornamental grasses, wil)
contribute materially towards completeness and richness of
effect, and afford the spectator breathing space. A certain snug-
ness of arrangement is as essential toenjoyment of the display as
to the prosperity of the plants. The subtropical garden should

be a u shut-in 99 place, with interrupted entrances to prevent
any rush of cold currents of air, opening inward, upon
grassy dells sheltered with lime, beech, plane, and a few of
the most elegant conifers, as in the sketch subjoined. The
principal display of subtropical plants should be on belts and
banks next the boundaries, and the more highly-coloured
masses on the outer portions of the lawns. The artist who
will have the courage to introduce groups of hollyhocks, with
belts of cannas associated with them to hide their legs, in the

228

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

central spaces, will be pretty sure of enthusiastic plaudits. At
Cashiobury, the subtropical garden is a simple circular space
enclosed by a sloping bank of shrubs, above which is a belt of
mixed deciduous trees. The principal display consists of three
small circular beds (1 and 2, 2) standing two feet above the
ground level, filled with cannas, caladiums, solanums, and

other plants of striking character. The remainder of the space
is grass turf dotted with clumps of pgeonies, delphiniums, and
other showy hardy plants.

As we admit to the picturesque garden any suitable plant,
no matter whether hardy or tender, it follows that general
rules for the management of the various occupants of the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

229

garden cannot be given. We may, however, very safely offer
some general advice. As this work is addressed chiefly to the

230

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

proprietors of gardens of limited extent, we cannot err in ad¬
vising the adoption of a few of the most strikingly handsome
and most easily managed plants for subtropical and picturesque
effects, to the exclusion of a myriad of so-called “ subtropical
plants” that have been employed in Battersea Park and else¬
where, under circumstances far more favourable to success
than we dare to hope for in the average of well-kept private
gardens. In a comprehensive review of suitable subjects, we
naturally divide them into two classes — those that must bo
wintered under glass, and those that are strictly hardy, or so
nearly so that a little rough protection suffices to carry them
through the winter safely.

Picturesque Plants of Tender Constitution. — The best of
these for the decoration of a small garden are acacias, agaves ,
cycads, solanums, wigandias , caladiums, jpalms, draccenas , musas ,
araucarias , all of which are of the greatest value for the adorn¬
ment of the conservatory during winter. Those of soft quick
growth, such as solanums, wigandias, and caladiums, would
do best planted out, but the slow-growing plants of hard tex¬
ture would, as a rule, be more safe if plunged in pots.

It often happens that where stove and greenhouse plants
are grown, a certain quantity of surplus stock burdens the
hands of the cultivator from time to time, and it is a con¬
venient way to get rid of it, without any shock to the feelings,
by planting it out and leaving it to perish. It would of
course be better to throw the plants on the rubbish-heap in
the first instance, if they do not happen to be suitable for the
embellishment of the garden, but in the case of a few sur¬
plus musas, begonias, and draceenas, for example, which may
occasion a little perplexity, the difficulty is disposed of by
planting them out about the end of June, to make a few
novel and dashing effects in the flower garden until the chill
of autumn disposes of them, and saves their owner the pain
of stamping them under foot. In many places where sub-tro¬
pical gardening is not systematically followed, occasional essays
in that direction may be made, and irrespective of surplus
plants one may wish to get rid of, many of the most valued
inhabitants of the conservatory and greenhouse may be bedded
out on the plunging system to enrich the lawn, and be vastly
benefited by exposure in the open air during the most favour¬
able season of the year. Viewed from this point merely, there
is simply no end to the possible selection of plants for the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

231

purpose, for even the humblest occupants of the stove and
greenhouse may be turned to account, to afford relief and
support to more stately subjects. We must be careful, how¬
ever, to repeat that it
is not tenderness of
constitution that ren¬
ders a plant suitable
for the picturesque
garden ; it must have
character of some
sort, if even it be
only grotesque, and
it must be capable of
withstanding a small
gale, a smart show¬
er, and a few chilly
nights, without col¬
lapsing into rags and
litter.

Picturesque
Plants that are

NEARLY OR QUITE

Hardy. — The range
of selection amongst
plants of this class
is immense, for we
have but to look for
distinctive forms of
leaf beauty, or of leaf
and flower combined,
in plants notable for
elegance or massive¬
ness, and sufficiently
hardy to need at the
utmost nothing more
than frame protec¬
tion in winter. The
variegated Aspidistra
may be regarded as a good type of the class, a noble, tropical-
looking plant, that endures without harm our severest
winters, but attains to fullest development only when aided
with protection in winter and a kindly heat in spring, when

ASPIDISTRA LURIDA.

232

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

PROTECTING TENDER PLANTS IN SPRING.

its new and handsome leaves are in process of develop¬
ment. Several fine Bambusas will endure our ordinary
winters in the southern counties, and need only the shelter of

a cool house in the
midlands and the
north. As they are
extremely elegant,
it is advisable, if
there be any doubt
jig of their hardiness,
__ to pot them before
they suffer by frost,
and consign them
to the conservatory
for the winter. Gannas are among the most handsome plants
available for grand effects, and they offer immense variety of
leafage and flower, some
of them gigantic with
leaves of the most deli¬
cate pale green, or deep¬
est purple, or blackish
bronze ; others dwarf in
growth, and equally
various in decorative
characters. Probably all
the cannas in cultivation
maybe preserved through
the winter in the open
ground with the aid of a
protecting coat of litter ;
and it is certain that a
large proportion of the
most handsome may be
treated as nearly hardy,
for they have been left
out seven or eight years
continuously at Battersea
Park, and a considerable
number are found to be
quite hardy in Paris.

They need a rich deep soil, with abundance of water all the
summer. For their protection in winter a cradle covered

THAPSIA DECIPIENS.

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN*

233

with mats, as in the subjoined figure, will be found more
effectual than litter. Ferulas are good enough for choice
positions, but the gigantic umbelliferous plants usually recom¬
mended for the dressed garden, such as Thapsia decipiens and
Heracleum giganteum , are too coarse, though distinctive and
noble when growing in half- wild places. The Pampas grass ,
and the larger kinds of Arundo , JEJlymus , Andropogon , Holcus ,
Sorghum , Zea, and some other showy grasses, may be employed
with admirable effect, the annual kinds needing to be raised
from seed sown in mild heat in March, in order to insure a
free growth by the time they are planted out. Gunneras
require a deep, rich, moist soil, and are quite hardy, a group
of them on the margin of a pool, with tufts of sugar-cane and
papyrus rising between, would constitute a striking feature at
the bottom of a dell, or on the margin of a stream. The
gigantic and remarkably elegant Dahlia imperialis requires a
sheltered spot in which to make its summer growth, and
should be taken up about the middle of September, and be
carefully potted and placed in the warmest corner of the
conservatory, where it will produce its magnolia-like flowers
in the month of November.

The Phytolaccas are quite hardy, and though neither noble
nor elegant, will be found useful to form dense green back¬
grounds. Polygonum cuspidatum (P. Sieboldi ) is as hardy as
any British weed, and one of the most distinct of picturesque
plants, particularly well adapted to stand alone on the turf.
fritomas need not be eulogized, for they are sure to find their
way into the front line in the herbaceous garden. Yuccas are
particularly well adapted for our purpose, and they comprise a
few, such as Y.pendulaaiid Y. gloriosa, that are indispensable,
both because of their striking characters and perfect hardiness.
Others, such as Y . aloifolia , both green and variegated, are no
less valuable to adorn the conservatory in winter than to
occupy commanding positions in the garden during summer.

Two capital illustrations of the wealth of material among
hardy plants adapted for picturesque effects were offered in a
picturesque garden last summer. In two far distant parts of
the garden isolated plants of Grarnbe maritima (common sea-
kale), and Grctmbe cor difolia (the heart-leaved sea-kale), were
advantageously placed for full development, and the display
of their very distinct characters. Each plant covered a space
about two yards across with gigantic glaucous leafage, which

234

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

in the month of Jane was covered with a magnificent sheet
of white flowers. Men who had for fifty years grown sea-
kale for a living, scarcely recognized their old familiar friend
of the kitchen garden when promoted to stand alone as an
ornamental plant on a piece of fine turf, surrounded with
valuable and beautiful plants from many climes.

A SELECTION OF SUBTROPICAL PLANTS.

Seventy Ornamental-leaved Plants, ranging from two
to twelve feet in Height. — Acacia lophantha, Agave Ame¬
ricana variegata , A.lsophila australis , Andropogcn giganleum,
Aralia papy r if era, A. Sieboldi variegata, Arundo donax versicolor,
B ambus a arundinacea , B. himalaica , Bocconia cordata rotun -
difolia , Caladium atrovirens, G. esculentum, 0. Javanicum ,
Ganna Annei rubra , C. Auguste Ferrier , C. Barillei, C. Biho-
relli, C. exp ansa, C . musa hybrida, G. Marechal Vaillant , G.
rubra superbissima, Gentaurea gymnocarpa , Ghamcepuce cassa -
bonce, Gupania filicifolia, Gyathea arbor ea, G. dealbata , Gyperus
j papyrus , Bicksonia antarctica , Dracaena australis , D. cannce -
folia, D. Gooperi, D. draco , D. ferrea, D. indivisa, D. terminalis ,
I). cylindrica , Ferdinandia eminens , Ficus elasticus , F. For -
teanus, Fourcroya gigantea, Lomatia ferruginea, Melianthus
major, Monster a deliciosa, Musa ensete, M. Cavendishi, Nico -
tiana Wigandioides , Bhormium tenax , P. tenax variegata ,
Polymnia grandis, Bhopala australis, B. corcovadensis, B.
glaucophylla, Bicinus albidus magnificus, B. Obermanni, B.
sanguineus, Saccharum officinarum, Solanum acanthocarpum,
8 . giganteum, 8. marginatum, S. Warcewiczoides, Sonchus
pinnatus, Theophrasta imperialis , Wigandia caracasana, Yucca
aloifolia variegata, Y. filamentosa variegata, Y. quadricolor,
Zea caragua, Z. Japonica.

Twenty-five Hardy Ornamental-leaved Plants. — Acan¬
thus latifolius, A. mollis , Arabia Sieboldi, Arundinaria falcata,
Arundo conspicua, A. donax, Aspidistra lurida variegata, A.
elatior punctata, Bambusa metake, Bocconia Japonica, Ganna
limbata, Oarduus tauricum , Cineraria platamfolia, Grambe
cordsifolia, Flymus arenarius , Ferula gigantea, Gynerium
argenteum , Melianthus macrophyllus giganteus, Heracleum gigam*
team, II. sibericum , Laportea crenulata , Melanoselinum decipiens,
Bheum Fmodi , Budbeckia Newmanni, Salvia chionantha , Yucca
glaucescens , Y. gloriosa, Y. recurva, Zea caragua, Z. Mays .

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

235

Twenty-five Flowering Plants adapted for Subtropical
Gardening. — Abutilon striatum venosum , Brugmansia Knighti ,
B. sauveolens, Ganna pidurata fastuosa , C. Bendatleri , Datura

ECHEVERIA SECUNDA GLATTCA.

arbor ea , Z). fastuosa flore pleno alba , Z). J Kuberiana, Dauben-
tonia magnifica, Erythrina crista-galli , E. laurifolia, E. Marie
Belanger , S. ruberrima , Helianthus argyrophyllus 9 Hibiscus
ferox , S', rosea sinensis , Lnpinus arbor eus, L. mutabilis versi¬
color, Malva Calif ornicus, Nicotiana macrophylla gigantea, Bent-

236

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN,

BRAOBNA CYLINDRICAL

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

237

siemon barbatus Torreyi , Senecio Ghiesbreghti , Solarium verbas -
cifolium, Tritomcc grandis, T. uvaria glctucescens.

Twenty-five Palms adapted for Subtropical Gardening.
— Areca Baueri, A. monystachys , A. sapida, Brahea calcarea ,
B. dulcis, Chamcedorea Frnesti-Augusti , Ghamcerops excelsa , 0.
Fortunei , G. humilis, 0. palmetta , Gocos australis , G. campestris ,
O. Wallisi , Gory glia australis , JDiplothemia maritimum , Latania
borbonica , Z-. rubra, Molinia chilensis , Phoenix dactylifera, P.
reclinata, Sabal Adamsoni, Seafortliia robusta , Thrinax parvi -
flora, T. tunicata, Trithrinax Mauritceformis.

Twelve Succulent Plants for Carpet and Embroidery
Bedding. — Fcheveria metallica, F. secunda, F. secunda glauca,
F. sanguinea, Sedum Sieboldi variegatum, S. Japonicum varie-
gatum, S. azoideum variegatum, S . spectabilis, Sempervivum
Galifornicum , S. tectorum (common houseleek), Bochea fal -
Mesembryanthemum coesium.

Subtropical Plants that may be Raised from Seed. —
Acacia lophantha, A . Julibrissin , Amaranthus melancholicus ,
A. tricolor, Arundo conspicua, Bocconia cor data, Ganna in
variety, Beta cicla 9 B. Braziliense, Cineraria glatanifolia,
Ghamoepuce diacantha , Crambe cor difolia, Ferula in variety,
Ferdinandia eminens, FLelianthus orgyalis, Feracleum gig an-
teum, Humea elegans, Nicotiana in variety, Phytolacca decan-
dr a, Bicinus in variety, Solanum in variety, Zea in variety.

The subjoined figure represents a cheap frame adapted for
“ hardening 99 subtropical plants of large growth, such as
cannas, palms, musas, etc. It is formed of light woodwork,
covered with canvas, with tarpaulin roof wholly removable.

CHAPTER XIII.

THE PERPETUAL FLOWER GARDEN.

There Las been enough said in these pages upon the short¬
comings of the prevailing system of embellishing gardens,
and we may turn from the negative to the positive, in hope of
some advantage to our readers. We propose, then, to unfold
to them a plan for the perfect abolition of tameness and
sameness, for making an end of monotony and wearisomeness,
for the termination of the floral see-saw, the feast and fast
system, by which we make sure of flowers during June, July,
and August, and of a beggarly account of empty beds during
the remaining months of the year. We are to propound the
Arcanum — the secret, the mystery — which is to be no mystery
by the time we have done with it ; and it is all to be made so
plain and pleasant, that from this time forth garden grumblers
are to cease from off the earth, disappointments are to be
known no more, and the reign of concord and flowery bliss is
to set in with such severity as to overcome all obstacles. Tou
are now expecting something new, yet Solomon has averred
that there is nothing new under the sun. So beware !

The arcanum to be expounded is the Plunging System. It
cannot be our invention, because plunging in some sort of
■way was done before we were born. But we claim to have
discovered and developed the full possibilities of the system,
and profess to know more about it than any practitioners of
gardening in all the world. The object of the plunging
system is to keep up a rich display of flowers or leaves on the
same spot the whole year round, and this is accomplished by
growing suitable plants in pots, and plunging them where
required when they are at their very best.

The plunging system is nothing unless there are at least
four changes in the year— say in April to put out Hyacinths
and Tulips, and in May or June to put out Geraniums, Cal-

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

239

ceolarias, and Mixtures ; in October for Chrysanthemums, and
in December for Evergreens. But there may be twelve,
twenty-four, or even fifty-two changes, if it is the taste of the
proprietor to encourage change, and he has the means of
keeping the wheel turning at that rate. What one may do on
a small scale another may do on a large scale ; and wherever
the plunging system is fairly tried, it will be found to surpass
in splendour, certainty, and variety, every other system that
can be thought of to compete with it.

A WINTER GROUP ON THE PLUNGING SYSTEM.

Let us endeavour to give an idea of the system as prac¬
tised at Stoke Newington. There is a centre circular bed
enclosed in a beautiful jardinet of Ransome’s imperishable
stone, and there are three borders, all of them faced with a
handsome moulded curb, also in Ransome’s stone. Two of
the borders are planted with trees and shrubs, the principal
border of the three being as richly furnished as possible with
Aucubas, Hollies, Yews, Berberis, Box, Japan Privet, and

240

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

otter first- class evergreens. During winter this plantation is
still further enriched by plunging amongst the permanent
shrubs pot-plants of Cupressus Lawsoniana, pyramid Ivies,
Irish Yews, and other characteristic plants, all of which are
removed in spring to better quarters to promote their growth
for the season, as the scene of the plunging is very much
overshadowed by large trees. The front lines of these borders,
and the circular stone bed, consist of cocoanut-fibre refuse
two to three feet deep. It is in these front lines that the
plunging, par excellence , is carried out in the most complete
manner, and a display of colour produced at all seasons of
the year, the effect of which is greatly heightened by the
depth of green and richness of variegated foliage of the back¬
ground.

Two remarks are proper at this point. In the first place,
well-grown pot-plants, plunged in cocoanut-fibre, have a
much brighter, a much more artistic and finished appearance,
than plants of the same kinds equally well grown in the
open ground. The beautiful, clear, reddish-brown colour of
the fibre refuse, by contrast, brings out every tint of green
with peculiar brightness, and affords relief to every kind of
flower. There is a peculiar charm about a well-furnished
plunge bed if the material consists of cocoanut-fibre or clean
tan ; it is owing to the colour of the material, which sets off
and brightens every scrap of vegetation, to which it serves as
a groundwork. An amateur who has a passion for floriculture,
and is compelled to reside near a town, and must put up with a
small garden, may have full gratification of his taste by fol¬
lowing the plunging system, and may soon have better col¬
lections of plants than the majority of people possessing large
gardens, and making pretensions to large practice. Moreover,
the system is admirably adapted to produce splendid effects
by means of the cheapest plants, and a very large proportion
of the subjects grown ought to be hardy, and adapted to bear
some amount of rough treatment.

Now let us suppose some one of our readers anxious to
carry into effect these proposals ; with him or her the question
will probably be, “ How am I to begin ?” We will endeavour
to answer the question in such a way as to suit a majority of
cases. The first thing to be done is to select the site for the
operations, and here a word of advice may be useful to this
effect — feel your way carefully, begin with one border or so,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 241

And extend the system as you become accustomed to it, and
equal to its demands, for it will swallow up many more plants
than you have been accustomed to provide for the same space
when planting out was followed.

If we had to advise in particular cases, we should frequently
turf over many of the existing flower-beds, and reduce the
area for display to very
circumscribed limits ; for
in many small gardens the
multiplicity of flower-beds
is puerile, and makes one
think of a doll’s garden,
or a farthing kaleidoscope.

Of course we get into
difficulties at this point;
people are not prepared
to give up their flower¬
beds, and do not quite
see the way clearly to do
anything with them but
as they have been accus¬
tomed to do. If there
are groups of beds, and
the desire is to improve
the garden and reduce the
extent of bedding, and
make a first start in
plunging, it will probably
not be difficult to mark
off certain of the beds to
be planted with evergreen
and flowering shrubs, sedum spectabile.

with some good hardy

herbaceous plants in front of them, and reserve the remainder
for experiments in plunging. Let us illustrate this suggestion
by a rough and ready example. Suppose a group of beds, as
in the annexed diagram. We have here ten beds, and we
desire to reduce their number without making them one-sided.
We have but to strike out, say, 2, 4, J7, 9, and we have six
remaining.

Or we may strike out 5 and 6, or 1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 10.

How, suppose that we cannot attempt to manage six beds by

242

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

>lun ging, as shown in the second diagram, why not plant
C and 6 with groups of hollies, or, if equally convenient (as it

3 . v

6 7

may he in a peat district), with hardy rhododendrons and
azaleas, or with pampas grasses and tritomas, and a few
other such striking and graceful plants, reserving the four

ou -.side beds for the flowers. This diagram does not illustrate
any body’s garden, but is intended to explain how easily the
way to reform may be found by those who have reforming
ten dencies.

Plunging in common earth, that is to say, in the soil of
the .place, is possible, but not desirable. So we may use saw¬
dust, or old tan, or even moss, or coal ashes. But there is
nothing half so good as the cocoa-nut-fibre refuse ; it is always
clea. n and moist, never wet, never dry, pleasing to look at (as
befoire remarked upon), harbours no vermin, and a lady
caref ul of her hands may work at plunging pots in it, and
scar cely find one stain upon her fingers when the work is
don e. The next best thing is tan ; the next best, moss.
Plu nging in mould is allowable, but not advisable ; but coal
ash es are simply filthy, and to adopt them in the “ plunging
sy stem,1’ that is, as an element in a decorative system, is
h eresy. With cocoa-nut and tan there is no need at all to
make provision for the drainage of the pots, but in plunging
in common mould or coal ashes, it is necessary to place a
brick, or an empty inverted pot, under every pot containing
a plant, to prevent the plant becoming water-logged, and also
to keep out worms.

The question now is about the formation of the plunge
beds. In places where stone or wooden edgings are already

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

243

in use, there is not mnch difficulty. Yon decide what is to he
the width of the plunge border, and to that width the earth
is to be dug out. If the border is narrow (say three feet), a.
depth of eighteen inches will be enough, because very large
pots will not be used. But if wide (say six feet), it may be
cut to a sloping bottom twelve inches deep at the extreme
front to three feet deep at the extreme rear, which will allow
of the largest pots or tubs with specimen conifers for the
back row in winter time. In some places good plunging will
be done with small pots, and in other places good plunging
will be done with large pots ; and again some practitioners will
indulge largely in winter trees, and some will only care for
summer flowers, etc., etc. Where beds are cut in grass, it is
an easy matter to take out the earth and put in suitable
plunging material ; where there is a grass verge to a border
there can be no difficulty in cutting sharp to it ; but in case
of a box or thrift edging, the cutting must be done with care,
or the edging may be killed. Put down the line three inches
from the live edging, and cut down sloping, so as to spare the
roots. If flooring boards, or any rough planking, can be
afforded, line the bed with timber, back and front, as shown
in the diagram, where we suppose the front to be clipped

Plunge

Bed.

Soil

Planted.

box, or in any case a bold and substantial stone edging ; next
within that, as a lining, a plank on edge ; then a given
breadth of cocoa-nut-fibre refuse for plunging ; next a plank on
edge as before, and then, beyond that, the undisturbed soil of
the garden, with a background of evergreens, etc., etc.

When all this is done, there must be established a regular
system of cultivation to keep the beds supplied. If this
cannot be accomplished, better no plunging at all. However,
one or two borders may be tried at first, and the system of
growing will be found to be more simple than appears ; and,
in fact, its chief characteristic is that it is a system ; every
separate batch of plants must be prepared to come on in its

244

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

PYRAMID CHRYSANTHEMUM.

proper time, with no
excessive glut to be¬
wilder the cultivator,
and never a defi¬
ciency of good things
to make a cheerful
display on any day
in the whole round
of the year.

The principal sub¬
jects for plunging
are, for early spring,
aconites, snowdrops,
crocuses, hyacinths,
and tulips: for late
spring, wallflowers,
yellowalyssum, white
iberis, rosy aubrietia!
sparkling dielytra,
bold and handsome
crown imperials. For
early summer, stocks,
roses (brought on
in pits or by slow
forcing) , yellow cy ti-
sus,deutzias flowered
in cold pits, rhodo¬
dendrons, and a few
of the more showy
annuals grown in
frames. For succes¬
sion, geraniums, cal¬
ceolarias, and all the
rest of the summer
flowers. For Sep¬
tember, Sedum faba-
rium ; for October,
British ferns, then
all fresh and bright,
with any odds and
ends of colour to
light them up. For

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

245

November, pyramided bush chrysanthemums ; for December,
ivies, conifers, ana berry-bearing shrubs, and so on to the
spring bulbs again. In selecting subjects, and in the culti¬
vation of the plants, it must be always remembered that
spreading concave-headed plants are of less value than com¬
paratively narrow, and in the case of zonal geraniums, “ long-
legged ” plants, because of the rather close packing required
to produce a rich effect. Thus the pyramid chrysanthemum
figured on page 244, is far to be preferred to the dwarf, close-
-trained, convex plant that would suit the parlour window.
The tall, spare habit, and fresh appearance of well-grown
seedling geraniums render them invaluable for plunging.

CHAPTER XIV.

THE ROCKERY AND ALPINE GARDEN,

The course of procedure sanctioned by custom in tbe literary
treatment of this subject consists in first destroying all existing
rockeries everywhere by unqualified abuse, and then recon¬
structing them on the author’s model, on the hypothesis that
they do not exist to please their owners, but to illustrate the
writer’s theory of what a rockery should be. We beg per¬
mission to evade the demands of “tyrant custom,” and avoid¬
ing controversy, to find opportunity here for a few suggestions
that may be useful to the reader.

There are many kinds of rockeries, and they serve many
purposes. They are sometimes intended as mere screens to
hide from view objectionable objects ; but usually they are
adopted for purposes of ornament, and to afford their pos¬
sessor suitable situations for the cultivation of ferns and
alpine plants. As a matter of taste, a really “ savage,” or
say rustic rockery, should not be associated with straight
walks, smooth lawns, vases, statuary, and clipped trees. Yet
in the most finished part of a garden, a modified form of
rockery may be admissible, as, for example, a circle of large
unhewn stones to form the boundary of a fountain, with
calandrinias, portuluccas, mesembryanthemums, and varie¬
gated-leaved plants of trailing habit dotted about amongst
them. But this would not be a rockery, properly speaking ;
it would be a garnishing of an artistic scene, with rocks only
partially displayed, but affording a suitable groundwork for the
flowers displayed above them. A rustic rockery may be made
a most interesting feature, and a good connecting link between
distinct scenes, while at the same time it provides sunny,
shady, dry, moist, and marshy sites for an interesting assem¬
blage of beautiful plants. When associated with a resting-
place and reading-room, affording shade and coolness in the

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

247

heat of summer, and with open sheltered seats facing south
for enjoyment of the landscape, and the song of the lark in
the early spring, and in all seasons providing entertainment .
in its varied vesture of ferns, mosses, flowering plants, and
picturesque surroundings, a rockery may indeed become a
most delightful accessory, acceptable alike to the botanist, the
artist, and the eclectic idler, whose desire it may be, having
escaped from a world of cares, to “rest and be thankful.,,
If far enough removed from the dwelling-house to be con¬
sistent, a cottage, or miniature chatelet, comprising a reading-
room, a smoking-room, and a chamber suitable for accom¬
modating luncheon and tea parties would be a most valuable
aid to the enjoyment of a good rockery. A model of a ruin
on a sufficiently large scale could
be equally well adapted for social
gatherings and meditative retire¬
ment, and in a place of sufficient
extent to admit of it without
breach of propriety, the ruin and
the hermit’s cell, if adopted at
all, should be thoroughly deve¬
loped and made a delightful place
of retreat.

The materials of which rock¬
eries are constructed must vary
in different localities. If the dis¬
trict affords suitable stone, and
large blocks can be placed to re¬
present natural protrusions of the
strata from below, there will be
a great gain in reality and force,
provided these strong features
are not weakened by puerile ebodium macradenium.

accompaniments, such as paltry

piles of shells, and cairns formed of the sweepings of a
builder’s yard. It is the very first requirement of taste, no
less than of the most sober common-sense, that the natural capa¬
bilities of a place should be developed, and in a rocky country
the materials most readily available are almost certain to be
the most suitable, because in harmony with the genius loci9
while such a tempting site as an old chalk quarry, or disused
gravel pit, may be turned to grand account for the cultivation

248 the amateur’s flower garden.

and display of ferns and alpine plants in picturesque arrange¬
ments. In tlie neighbourhood of great towns, and especially
about London, the best available material is the product of
the brick, kiln, and what are there called “ burrs” answer
admirably, for they may be built into any form, and when
the roots of plants come into contact with them, it is to the
advantage of the plants, rather than otherwise, which cannot
be said of the glassy and impervious furnace slag, and other
vitreous substances that are occasionally employed.

In constructing a rockery or ruin, definite measures must
be adopted to provide sites for plants. Mere handfuls of
soil on the tops of dry walls may suit a few of the hardy
succulents, but it is of the first and last importance that
there should be large masses of suitable soil in all parts of

the structure
which it is in¬
tended to em¬
bellish with
plants, and
especially for
hardy ferns
and alpines.
Almost any
plant will live
for a season or
so in a spoon¬
ful of mould,
if watered
twice a day,
and watched
like a crimi¬
nal at large ; but if plants are to thrive in a rockery, they must
be encouraged to strike their roots deep into a soil adapted to
their nature, and there should be no stint of stuff to promote
deep rooting when the work is in process of construction. A
very large number of fine rockery plants will thrive in the
most common soil with an infinitesimal amount of attention,
and in the most off-hand way we may treat such subjects as
arabis, alyssum, campanula, asperula, cerastium, corydalis,
iberis, and a hundred others. But for the best of the hardy
ferns there must be an ample bed, or many beds, and masses
of sandy peat ; for a few of the rock-loving ferns, shelves and.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

249

clefts filled with sandy peat and broken freestone ; and for tho
majority of true alpines, such as androsaces, the smaller dian-
thus, erinus, erythrgea, hepatica, iris, lychnis, myosotis, and
others of like nature, sandy loam of a mellow texture, and
rich in fibre must be provided, and much of it hidden away
beneath the masses of rock in such a manner that the roots of
the plants will find it by fair searching in a perpendicular or
oblique direction downwards — it must not be expected that
they will turn corners and go upwards after it anywhere. A
genuine rockery in the garden of a genuine amateur should,
in the first place, have one distinct character of its own, and
an evident set of rela¬
tionships. For example,
if it were determined to
construct a ruin, it should
be the ruin of a sup¬
positious castle, church,
keep, or part of one, and
should be constructed of
one material throughout,
or at least not of an in¬
congruous mixture of
materials, such as tho
original suppositious
builder would not have
employed. If, on the
other hand, a natural
pile of rocks were imi¬
tated, it should consist
of such rocks as might
be met with somewhere,
and not of a collection of geological curiosities in the fashion
of an outdoor museum. The burrs from the brick-kiln answer
admirably for a bastion or keep, or for an irregular construc¬
tion of miniature mountains, valleys, and gorges, but it would
not be in good taste to dot the slopes with shells or stick busts
of eminent (or unknown) personages on the pinnacles. If of
sufficient extent, it should present a number of aspects and
considerable variety of conditions, such as rough terraces and
knolls facing the north, for the smaller and more delicate
alpines, which thrive the more surely when enjoying a cool
climate all the summer, and are actually safer in winter in

THYMUS AZUKEUS.

250

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

the coldest, rather than in the warmest place, not because
long-continued frost is any particular benefit to them, but
because the bursts of bright weather we usually have in early
spring tend to hurry them into growth too soon, and they may
afterwards suffer through the return of frost, snow, miserable
rain, or keen, parching east winds. It is just because of the
variableness of our winters that alpine plants are frequently
grown in alpine houses, which are low-roofed, brick-built
greenhouses without heating apparatus of any kind, affording
shelter only, and saving the delicate alpine plants from the
destructive influence of intense cold following unseasonable
warmth, and long-continued rains, accompanied with forcing
weather when they should be still and quiet under a covering
of snow.

But all this far-reaching scheme of a rockery may suit but
few of our readers ; nevertheless, the principles are the same
in the construction of a small as of a large rockery, and for
just a moment we will peep at one of the smallest, which
happens also to be one of the best with which we are familiar
in our daily walks. This consists of a mere bank of common
loam heaped up against a cottage wall, and faced with bricks
and burrs that the cottager gathered from the road- side bit by
bit, and saved until he had enough. It is crowded with beau¬
tiful plants, and is in all seasons a most elegant adornment of
a rustic artist’s home. In the depth of winter it is fringed
with the golden-tipped stonecrop, which then, owing to the
yellow colour of the tips of the shoots, is nearly as gay as
the common stonecrop is when in full flower in the height of
summer. As the spring advances, tufts of saxifrages, pri¬
mulas, drabas, cerastiums, arabis, and alpine phlox burst into
flower, and make a brilliant enamelling of snow-white stars,
rosy cups, blotches of gold and silver, and tiny sheets of
purple and pink. These are followed by bonny clumps of
campanulas, arenarias, tunicas, armerias, aubrietias, corydalis,
linarias, the alpine lychnis, the hoary blue-flowered thyme,
and tufts of the lurid red flowers of the common houseleek and
the very delicate and pretty spider’s- web houseleek. It is not
wanting in flowers in autumn, but it is more enjoyable then
for its sumptuous garniture of moss-like verdure of many
delicate shades of green which the saxifrages contribute,
varied with patches of grey and golden leafage. No one
could determine from its appearance that it consists of

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

251

veritable rubbish below, because it is so richly clothed, that
the bricks and stones employed in the building are hidden,
and it completely accomplishes its purpose, that of affordiug
a suitable site for a number of beautiful plants that require
no costly aids to their development, but are better adapted
for a raised bank of soil and a stony surface to rest upon,
than for the common border, which is usually too damp in
winter for herbaceous plants of a trailing, surface- spreading,
or cushion-forming character.

In selecting rockery plants, it will be well for the beginner
to avoid all expensive and troublesome subjects. There are
numbers of plants of noble
character that are not usually
classed as rock plants, that
may be introduced advan¬
tageously for distinctive effect
in bays, recesses, and com¬
manding heights, such as the
pampas grass, the arundo,
bambusas in variety for shel¬
tered nooks, the gigantic
heracleum, the acanthus, the
lyme grass, and the pliyto-
laccas. Then for rich colour¬
ing, numbers of cheap and
showy herbaceous and sub-
shrubby plants, especially
such as spread laterally, as
for example, the dwarf hype-
ricums, the double yellow
lotus, the double dyer’s broom,
the alyssums, iberis, the
hardy geraniums, erodiums,
campanulas, saxifrages, se-
dums, and every species and variety of thyme that can be got.
Hardy variegated-leaved plants are especially valuable, and
trailing plants, such as the ivy-leaved toad -flax, the peri¬
winkles, ivies, and the golden-leaved and common moneywort
are indispensable. For the shady places there are hardy ferns
and equisetums in endless variety, and the lily of the valley
is not the least worthy to associate with them on open slopes,
where the sun peeps in morning and evening to diffuse a genial

HYPERICUM PATULUM.

252 THE amateur’s flower garden.

warmth, favourable, for the most part, even to shade-loving
plants.

As for the alpines proper, the cyclamens, androsaces,
mountain pinks, droseras, epimediums, and gentians — to name
a few only as examples — the best advice that can be offered
to the amateur is to acquire experience in their management
patiently, without haste or any costly experiments, for a
serious disappointment at the first start may seriously damp
the ardour under which the start was made, and make an
impression unfavourable to the pursuits of the higher depart¬
ments of decorative gardening. It may be said of alpine
plants in general, that to plant them properly in the first
instance is everything, and to manage them afterwards is no¬
thing, for, as a rule, if they are but kept free from weeds, and
left alone, they will acquire a firm hold of their positions, and
do full justice to their owner’s taste in selecting them.

The association of water with a rockery is eminently
desirable if it can be accomplished conveniently. Were it
possible to occupy much, instead of little, space with this
subject, something might be said of a stream that passes
through a certain garden, and, being dammed up where a
slight fall occurs, forms a miniature lake, on which a pretty
lot of water- fowl disport for the embellishment of the scene,
and for the occasional embellishment also of the dinner-table.
Beside the rustic bridge across the dam rises a rustic tower
richly clad with ivy, and portions of a ruined wall and broken
arches representing a ruin. In all the nooks, and on the
walls, and everywhere about the spot, alpine plants, mosses,
ivies, and snapdragons run riot, and charm the eye, which¬
ever way it turns. Concealed in the top of the tower is a
great tank, and under the bridge is fixed a water-ram, the
duty of which is to pump up water to the top of the tower,
and provide the gardener with a constant supply, warmed and
softened for use as needed all the summer long. Within the
tower is a readiug-room, and a cool retreat open to the sky,
through a lattice of leaves, lurks amid the arches, and woos
the breeze to whisper in passing by, “ Here care should be
forgot.” But we must tell of this rockery some day and
somewhere in proper detail, and, as we have dipped the pen
in the limpid stream, we will present in brief a scheme from
the garden of a friend, which may be useful to many a reader
of this volume. It is an ornate rockery, differing very much

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

258

from such as have chiefly occupied our attention in the fore¬

going observations, and its place and surroundings may bo

SCALE 3 FZ TO 1 INCH

254

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

discovered by reference to page 9, where it will be found at
figure R in the Plan of a Villa Garden.

We will suppose a piece of ground, twenty-five feet by
twenty feet, to be at your disposal. Mark out the inner oval
(Fig. 1), and excavate three spades deep, leaving the sides
sloping ; then well ram all over, till the surface is firm and
compact. A square pedestal of brickwork in cement is now
built up in the centre to form a support for a vase of iron,
terra-cotta, or ftansome’s imperishable stone ; the water-pipe,
for supplying a fountain jet is embedded in the work ; as is

also a leaden ser¬
vice, for a range of
minor jets, after¬
wards referred to.

Fig. 2 shows the
arrangement of all
s the piping.

S. — General
supply of iron,
three-quarters of
an inch bore, fur¬
nishing water to
centre vase jet, and
connected at t with
S, s, s, s, s. — Se¬
condary fountains,
issuing from an
oval ring of half
inch iron pipe, and
playing into the
tazza. They are re¬
gulated by tap (t).

M, in, m, m, in, m, m, m, are minor jets, receiving over¬
plus water from the vase, through half-inch leaden tubing, and
discharging into the lower pool.

The smith’s work being completed, the sides and bottom
of the excavation are lined with flat tiles in Portland cement,
and the whole surface rendered with an even coating. That
portion of the brickwork pedestal above the level of the tile-
work must also be plastered with the same material. The
cement is then allowed a few days to harden, in which, and
by way of taking time by the forelock, you had better have

Fig. 2.

PLAN OP PIPES.

5 Feet to 1 Inch.

THE AM ATE UK* S FLOWER GARDEN. 255

carted to your yard three one-horse loads of u run bricks,”
or “ burrs.”

The plaster work having set, a narrow rim of turf is laid
round the extreme edge of the pool, thus concealing the
secondary fountain supply.

The nozzles, made of lead, beaten round iron wire, spring
up amid the grass. In arranging the rockwork, commence
and continue in horizontal layers ; build up gradually, for¬
tifying all weak points with a little gauged cement. The
centre of the back, which is the highest point, should be about
seven feet above ground. Allow plenty of space for good
soil, between the outer and inner walls ; and carry the erection
into jagged peaks, with pinnacles, leaving miniature ravines,
bays, and chinky hollows. Bear in mind that the height must
continue to decrease as you approach the front, where the
greatest allowable altitude will be about eight inches or a foot.
Harts-tongue ferns are planted on a small pile of rockwork
fixed round the square pedestal. The inner nooks are devoted
to ferns. At the edge next the water, the moneywort will
flourish with luxuriance. The outer recesses are filled with
dwarf roses, and the very showiest of dwarf-growing her¬
baceous plants. Gold and silver fish are placed in the basin,
soon becoming tame enough to flock to the surface for food,
on the approach of their owner, and sporting about among a
few choice water plants, they impart an additional charm to
the already varied scene.

CHAPTER XV,

FLOWERS FOR WINTER BOUQUETS.

The test flowers for winter bouquets are undoubtedly those
of the stove and greenhouse, bright with colour, fresh with
fragrance, and with the soft and supple texture of active life
in them. Genuine winter flowers are a privilege of the few ;
for the many who cannot obtain them, dried grasses and
everlasting flowers are of some service, and may be turned
to wonderful account in the preparation of elegant bouquets.
We must not waste space in eulogy, but assume that flowers
and grasses are required for winter bouquets, and then pro¬
ceed to the practical business of producing them.

First, as to the cultivation. All the annual sorts, both of
everlasting flowers and grasses, are best grown by sowing
the seeds in light rich soil in March or April, and treating
them just the same way as asters ; that is, in brief, insuring
strong plants by the middle of May, and then planting them
out. But if this is not convenient, they may all be sown on
a rich light sunny border, in the early part of April. Every
patch should be tallied, and a bit of seed of every sort kept
in reserve. About the middle of May sow again any that have
not, by that time, come up. By this plan you will be likely
to secure all the sorts on which you speculate.

As for greenhouse everlastings, they require good culti¬
vation. As the best of these is the Aphelexis, a practical word on
that may be useful. It is a difficult plant to grow, too much
or too little water being pretty certain death to it. The soil
should be good turfy peat, and plenty of silver sand. The
pots should be prepared with great care to insure perfect
drainage. The plants must be potted firm, and with the
collar slightly above the surface. Plenty of light and air
are essential. The beautiful Phcenocoma requires similar
treatment. As for the greenhouse Statices, they require a soil

T1IE amateur’s flower garden.

257

half loam and half peat, and a warmer and closer part of the
house will suit them than the two plants first mentioned require.

Next, as to gathering the flowers. Take them in all
possible stages ; but by far the largest proportion should
be young and scarcely fully expanded, as they are sure to
expand in the process of drying. To dry them, lay them on
papers in an airy warm place, safe from dust , and store them
when dry in dry closets or drawers where dust is as nearly
as possible unknown. The grasses may be dried by simply
laying them between folds of blotting-paper, or placing them
between the pages of large, heavy books. Remember, “ prac¬
tice makes perfect the beginner is sure to spoil a few ; never
mind, there will be many good ones to make amends.

As to mounting, the grasses must be used in their natural
state ; but it is best to mount the flowers on wires. This is a
nice proceeding ; but ladies generally acquire the art in haste.
The finest steel wire is the best adapted to the purpose, and
it is attached to the flower at the base by merely thrusting
it into the centre ; but the wire should have a few twists to
make a sort of base to catch the flower, or for the natural base
of the flower to rest on.

The best flowers for this purpose are the following : —

Uelichry sums of all kinds; more especially H. bradeatum , H.
comjpositum , 11. macranthum , and H. monstrosum. All are half
hardy annuals, to be raised on gentle heat, and planted out in
May, or sown in the open ground in April. As they are so use¬
ful, it would be well to try all the sorts the seedsmen can supply.

Acroclinium roseum. — Sow in pots and pans in April, and
place in cold frame, or sow in open border and risk it.

Rhodanthe Mangiest, R. atrosanguin e um , R. maculata , R
major. All half-hardy annuals.

Helipterum Sandfordi and II. corymbiferum require careful
culture. Sow, if possible, in February, and treat as perilla
or lobelia. These are the least likely to succeed if sown in
the open border in this country. They are so beautiful that
they well repay a little extra care.

Polycolymnia Stuarti. — A quite hardy annual, but none the
worse for being pushed forward under glass.

Ammobium alatum is a perennial, but may be treated as an
annual, as it is sure to be killed by a sharp frost. Treat it as
half-hardy.

Waitzia corymbosa , W. grandijiora , fine half-hardy annuals ;

258

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

but of no use to beginners for winter wreaths. They must
be started early to make sure of a good bloom.

Xeranthemum annuum , X. album , X. caryophillioides , and X.

furjpurea are fine hardy
annuals, all of which
may be so wnin the open
ground in April. They
are not the most de¬
sirable, as their colours
are apt to fade when
dried, but this may be
in some part prevented
by drying them quickly
in the dark, and in a
very dry, warm atmo¬
sphere. Try them in
an oven when the fire
is nearly out.

The selection of
Grasses may be almost
indefinitely extended,
and the hedgerows
will supply many of
the most lovely grasses
in the world. The
following, however, are
worthy of special atten¬
tion for associating with
everlasting flowers.

Stupa jpennata is
one of the most dis¬
tinct of all our garden
grasses. It grows su¬
perbly on a dry, sandy
bank, and is adapted
for a sunny part of the
fernery. What grace,
what delicacy, what is there in the vegetable kingdom to equal
it for fairy-like elegance ? Beware ! In the seed catalogues
you will see that seed is offered. True, seed is offered, but
it is comparatively worthless, and the only sure way to secure
this grass is to purchase plants.

BRIZA MAXIMA.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

259

Agrostis nebuhsa , a most elegant grass, having stems as
fine as hairs, and fruit panicles so light and “nebulous” that at a
little distance a patch
of this grass looks like a
cloud of vapour. Some
seedsmen send out Po-
lypogonMonspeliensis,
under the name of
Agrostis nebulosa.

Briza maxima is
the most useful of the
quaking grasses, but
all the Brizas are
pretty. This grass is
much used for winter
bouquets, and is inva¬
luable to persons en¬
gaged in taxidermy,
on account of its suit¬
ability for dressing up
cases of stuffed birds,
etc.

Chloris radiata is a
very curious grass, the
flowering occurring
in a compound spike
which consists of five
or six separate rays,
remotely resembling
long fingers.

Lagurus ovatus , a
favourite with those
who grow grasses for
bouquets. It is popu¬
larly known as Hare’s-
tail grass.

Pennisetum longi -
stylum , one of the most
elegant grasses known.

Panicum Italicum is one of the best of a beautiful family.
P. cajoillare is also a most graceful species. P. Miliaceum
(common millet) is also well worth a place in any amateur’s

PANICUM ITALICUM.

260

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

garden. Indeed all the Fanicums are worth growing. So
also is

Setaria Germccnica and Setaria macrochoeta, the last being
a thorough “ cat’s-tail ” grass.

JEragrosiis elegans cannot be surpassed for elegance when
in flower, though until the bloom appears it has a rather
coarse appearance.

GROUP OF EVERLASTING FLOWERS*

Milium multiflorum is the most elegant of this elegant
family . It is invaluable for winter bouquets to mix with ever¬
lasting flowers.

Airopsis pulchella , a little gem for pot culture. When
covered with seeds it is quite a curiosity.

Hordeum jubatum is the pretty squirrel’s-tail grass, a good
companion to Lagurus ovatus.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

261

jffigilojos cylindrical a stiff, quaint, and not inelegant grass,
which conies in well for bouquets.

Lepturus subulatus , a wiry backbone sort of grass that
will make any one laugh who sees it for the first time.

GROUP or ORNAMENTAL GRASSES.

JBroqms brizceformus, a minute grass of the most exqui¬
sitely graceful construction. It is a genuine candidate for
complete seclusion in fairyland ; such a sordid world as this
does not deserve to behold its beauty.

The mixed border will supply a few good flowers for dry¬
ing, such as the hardy statices and gypsophilas, and it is an
easy matter to dry the flowers of double geraniums so as to
preserve their brilliant colours in perfection.

CHAPTER XVI.

THE MAKING AND THE MANAGEMENT OF THE LAWN,

Amongst the earliest recommendations in this volume is one
in behalf of the greatest possible breadth of well-kept turf
consistently with the area enclosed for purposes of pleasure.
To insure the luxury of a “ velvet lawn,” is, to speak gene¬
rally, a most easy matter, and, though.it may be comparatively
costly in the first instance, it will prove in the end one of the
best of investments of gold in gardening. The soft elastic
turf of a chalky down will kindly inform the traveller that a
lawn may be laid on chalk ; and the closely bitten grassy
herbage of a sandy common will in like manner suggest that
gravel and sand may be clothed for the production of a living
carpet that will last for ever. It is, however, on a deep loam
or a clay that has been well tilled, that the best example of
grass turf is to be looked for, and on such land we should
prefer to operate, were it required of us to present the best
possible example of making and keeping a garden lawn.

In the formation of a lawn, all levels must be carefully
determined, and the ground thoroughly well prepared, that
there may be no waste of labour in alterations afterwards.
In the case of laying fresh turf on the site of an exhausted
plot, from which bad turf has been removed, a heavy dressing
of good manure should be dug in, for grass needs nourish¬
ment in common with all other plants. The last act of
preparation consists in spreading over the level ground about
an inch depth of fine earth, which is to be distributed evenly,
and every stone removed by means of the rake. Then we
approach an important question —which is best, turf or seeds ?
In any and every case turf is to be preferred, for upon the
instant of its being laid and rolled, the lawn is formed, and
there is an end of the matter. Two considerations give
interest to this question — the cost of turf is necessarily far in

THE AMATEUR'S FLOWER GARDEN.

268

•excess of the cost of seeds, and it may happen that turf is
not to, be obtained within reasonable carting distance. Sup¬
posing the amateur to have a choice of means and materials,
our advice would be in favour of the purchase of the best
turf possible, for any extent of ground under one acre ; but
when we get beyond an acre, with every increase of extent,
the argument in favour of seeds increases in force, for the
cutting and carting of turf is a somewhat costly business. In
selecting turf for a garden, give the preference to that which
is of close texture, containing a fair sprinkling of clover
intermixed with the finer grasses. We have formed many
lawns from meadow turf, which in the first instance appeared
far too coarse, and they have in the course of three years
acquired a beautiful texture fit for the foot of a princess in a
fairy tale. Grass turf may be laid at any time during favour¬
able weather, but the autumn is to be preferred, because of
the long season of growth the newly-laid turf will have to aid
in its establishment before being tried by the summer sun.
If laid early in the spring, grass usually passes through the
first summer safely, but is of necessity exposed to the risk of
being roasted ; in the event of a hot dry summer, the risk is
greater in the case of turf laid late, than of turf laid early.
When the work is deferred until the season of spring showers
Is past, it will be advisable to spread over the turf a coat of
good manure, and keep it regularly and liberally watered
until showers occur.

In selecting seeds, the character of the soil must be taken
into consideration, for a mixture that would suit a clay or
loam would not equally well suit a sand, gravel, or chalk
soil. The seedsmen who make a “ speciality ” of grass seeds
will for any given case supply a better mixture than any one
unskilled in the matter could obtain, even if acting on the
advice of a botanist or gardener. As, however, prescriptions
are occasionally required by seedsmen who have not had ex¬
tensive experience, we shall append to this chapter a few for
mixtures adapted to particular kinds of soils. The best time
in the year to sow seeds is the month of August. If the
work cannot then be completed, the sowing may be continued
through September and October, but not later ; and may be
resumed in February and March. Grass seeds may be sown
indeed on any day in the year, provided the weather is favour¬
able for the operation, and the ground in a fit state ; but the

264

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

month of August is the best time to insure a good plant
before winter, and a long period of growth before the summer
heat returns.

There is yet a third mode of forming a lawn, now rarely
practised, but in days when grass seeds were comparatively
unknown, frequently resorted to. It is termed “ inoculating,’ ’
and consists in planting pieces of grass turf at regular dis¬
tances over the plot. In districts where good turf is obtain¬
able only in small quantities, this method may be recom¬
mended, for if the turves are torn into small pieces, and
planted at a foot apart in September or February, they will
extend rapidly, and form a pretty good sward the first season.

In the after management, the principal operations consist
of rolling, mowing, and weeding. Grass seeds must be con¬
stantly weeded, until the turf thickens sufficiently to kill out
the weeds, and newly-laid turf must be kept clear of thistles,
docks, and other rank weeds, by spudding them out, or by a
simpler process which we have long practised with the most
agreeable results, that of depositing in the heart of the plant
a small quantity of phospho-guano, which kills it at once,
and promotes the growth of clover in its stead. If this
operation is carelessly performed, and the guano thrown
about wastefully, the immediate result is a dotting of the
lawn with unsightly brown patches, which, however, soon
disappear after the occurrence of rainy weather.

Many as are the kinds of mowing machines, they may
all be classed under two heads — those that cut and carry,
and those that cut and scatter. A carrying-machine may
be made to scatter by removing the box, but not so well
as the machine that is intended for scattering, as in each
case the cutter is formed expressly for the work it is in¬
tended to perform. If the question be asked, which is the
best form of machine, our reply is that they are of equal
value, and the intending purchaser must be guided by a con¬
sideration of circumstances. In the excessively hot and dry
summers of 1868 and 1870, we constantly employed the
“ Archimedean,” which scatters the grass, and our lawns were
as green through all the burning drought as in the cooler
days of spring. In the moist summer of 1871, it would have
been necessary to sweep up the grass, had the scattering
machine been employed on our strong land, and therefore
we kept our trusty “ Shanks ” at work, cutting and carrying,

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

265

and had to mow twice a- week through the whole of June and
July to keep the grass down. Nevertheless, in that same moist
summer, we saw the “Archimedean” employed on a tract of
chalk land, which is peculiarly exposed to the influence of the
sun, and the result was a fresh green turf, where in the height
of summer nothing better than a dusty door-mat had ever
been seen before. When the grass is cut by cutters adapted
for the scattering system, it falls on the ground in a form
more resembling dust than fibres, and acts as a “mulch”
both to nourish the growth and arrest evaporation from the
soil ; hence the importance of the scattering system on chalk
and sand, and other hungry stuff, and on any soil in such a
hot season as that of 1870.

In the keeping of an old lawn it is of the utmost
importance to remember that grasses and clovers require
for their well-doing a highly-nourishing soil. Now it mat¬
ters not how good the soil may be in the first instance, if
we cut and carry, we labour constantly to impoverish the top-
crust. In every barrowful of grass removed, there will be a
certain quantity of alkalies, phosphates, and other consti¬
tuents of vegetation, abstracted from the soil. To be always
taking off and putting nothing on, must result in the star¬
vation of the grass ; and w^e shall find that as the grasses
and clovers disappear through the exhaustion of the soil,
daisies, plantains, knotgrass, self-heal, and other weeds,
will take their place. The simple remedy for this state of
things is manuring, and the best mode of manuring is to
scatter over the turf a succession of thin dressings of guano
and fine mould mixed together. This should be done in
autumn and spring, at times when there is not much traffic
on the grass, and there is a likelihood of rain to follow.
If appearances are of no consequence in the later autumn
or early spring months, a good coat of half-rotten manure
may be spread over the turf, but this proceeding cannot
be recommended for general adoption. In place of guano,
nitrate of soda or nitrate of potash may be employed, being
first mixed with fine earth or sand, and then scattered at
the rate of one pound of nitrate to every square yard. The
employment of an alkali will promote the growth of grass,
but not of clover, which requires the aid of phosphates.
A cheap and most serviceable dressing for old lawns may bo
occasionally obtained in districts where building works are in

266

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

progress. The rubbish should be screened, to separate from
it the dust of old mortar, plaster, and broken brick to the
size of walnuts at the utmost. This may be spread thinly
two or three times in autumn and spring, and will greatly
benefit the texture and density of the turf.

It cannot be said that in British gardens grass is gene¬
rally well managed and properly understood, for the lawn is
the last place on which either manure or water is generously
Bestowed. We may ofttimes see the flower-beds deluged with
water that they do not need, while the grass is fast parching
into a hideous condition of sterility. If we could persuade
the industrious folks to spread the water, by means of a hose,
over the grass two or three times a week during summer,
and give the geraniums none at all, the result would be a
brighter blaze of flowers in a rich setting of delightfully fresh
verdure, instead of, perhaps, geraniums growing like cabbages,
and scarcely flowering at all, and the grass becoming as thin
and black as if a flame had passed over it.

Two contingencies are to be especially guarded against in
the management of grass turf — the machine must be set so
as to cut fair, and it must be kept in the best order by
constant cleaning and oiling. If set so as to cut very close,
it will occasionally pare off the surface soil, and with it the
roots of the grasses ; many a good lawn has been ruined by
the foolish practice of making the machine cut as close as
possible, under the absurd impression that one cut is better
than two. The more cuts the better, provided always that
the machine is properly set and in the best working order.
Another mode of making a present effect at the expense of
the lawn consists in continually cutting a fresh edge with
the edging iron. A gardener who cuts into the turf on the
edge of the lawn to make a finish ought to be compelled to
eat all that he removes. If the practice is persisted in, tbe
grass is reduced in breadth, and the walk is widened, and in
time there is formed a deep gutter and a sharp ugly ridge.
If properly finished at the edge with the shears, the width of
the walk will not vary an inch in fifty years. One of the first
things we look after in the work of a new man is his manage¬
ment of the edges of lawns, and we are always careful to
explain our views upon the subject in good time to prevent
a mischief wbick cannot be easily remedied. The man who
persists after warning and explanation in chop, chop, chop'

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

267

ping at the edge, as if it were necessary to construct a gutter
of mud on each side of a walk, deserves to hear an opinion
of his procedure that will make him tingle from head to foot
with shame. The jobbing gardener is a master of this chop-
down- gutter- forming business, and will always be ready to
advise the employment of gravel to fill up the trench that
should never have been made.

It may be well to add a word upon the employment of
Spergula , or more properly of Arenaria ccespitosa , for lawns.
A “spergula lawn ” in good condition is one of the loveliest
embellishments of a garden that can be conceived. W e have
seen only three that were good enough for agreeable remem¬
brance. * The whole truth of the matter may be summed
up in a sentence : A spergula lawn demands constant atten¬
tion, and is of necessity a troublesome thing to form in the
first instance, and to manage afterwards. Therefore, for
what may be termed “ general usefulness ” we cannot recom¬
mend the employment of spergula. However, any of our
readers who are inclined to indulge in this unwonted luxury
need not be deterred through supposing there is any mystery
at the bottom of success ; it is a question of time and atten¬
tion, and whenever these are withheld the spergula lawn will
go to ruin. Prepare the ground well, and plant the tufts in
September and October, or in March and April. Frequently
roll the ground, and never cease to pull out weeds, for these
are the chief enemies of spergula. One season’s neglect of
weeding will ruin a spergula lawn, and one week’s neglect at
a time of year when weeds grow freely will result in con¬
siderable damage. As for worms, which occasionally injure
spergula turf by their casts, the roller will sufficiently repair
the damage ; but if any nostrum is required to reduce their
number, there can be nothing better than clear lime-water,
for, while this kills the worms, it benefits the spergula.

As the formation of a spergula lawn requires much patient
attention, it may be recommended as a pastime to those who
are of a temperament suited to the task, and can afford the
time that must be devoted to it for a satisfactory result. Our
advice to a beginner, fired with enthusiasm on the subject,
would be to select a comparatively small piece of ground in
the first instance, in order to obtain a perfect sample of sper¬
gula turf in the shortest possible time, and acquire thereby
the experience needful for a greater effort. For those who

268

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

practise “ rough-and-ready gardening,” spergula is of no use
at all, except as a rock plant or to cover a knoll.

For all GOOD LOAMY GARDEN soils, the best grasses to form a
close, fine sward, are the following : — Gynosurus cristatus , the
crested dog’s-tail ; Festuca ovina , the sheep’s fescue ; F . tenui-
f cilia, the fine-leaved fescue ; Folium perenne tenue , fine-leaved
rye-grass ; Foa pratensis , smooth- stalked meadow grass; Foa
sempervirens , evergreen meadow grass ; Foa nemoralis, wood-
side meadow grass ; Trifolium repens perenne, perennial white
clover ; Trifolium minus , yellow suckling. Sow the mixture
at the rate of 8 bushels (60 lb.) to the English acre, or 1
gallon (2J- lb.) to 6 rods or perches.

For a stiff soil resting on clay, a good mixture would
consist of Foa pratensis , smooth-stalked meadow grass ; Foa
trivialis , rough-stalked meadow grass ; Folium perenne tenue ,
fine rye grass ; Fesiuca duriuscula, hard fescue ; Trifolium
repens , white clover ; Trifolium minus , yellow suckling.

For a light sandy soil the mixture should consist of, or at
least comprise, Folium perenne tenue , Foa pratensis, Fesiuca
duriuscula , Arena flares cens, the yellowish oat grass ; Trifolium
repens , Lotus corniculatus , the bird’s-foot ; Achillea millefolia ,
the common yarrow.

For a thin soil resting on chalk or limestone, the selec¬
tion should comprise Folium perenne tenue , Fesiuca duriuscula ,
F. orina , Foa trivialis , Gynosurus cristatus , Medicago lupulina ,
yellow medick ; Trifolium repens , T. minus , Lotus corniculatus.

For a collective prescription we cannot do better than
adopt that recommended by Messrs. Lawson and Son, the
eminent seedsmen of London and Edinburgh. The several
quantities of the several sorts named constitute a mixture for
one English acre.

Avena fiavescens

GUI

LIGHT

SOIL.

11b.

MEDIUM

SOIL.

01b.

HEAVY

SOIL.

0 1b.

Gynosurus cristatus ...

... 5

Festuca duriuscula, S03

Festuca tenuifolia ...

Loliurti perenne tenue ...

Foa nemoralis

... li

Foa nemoralis sempervirens

... H

Foa trivialis ...

... i|

Trifolium repens

... 7

Trifolium minus

... 2

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

269

Under trees a little variation of the mixture must Tbo
adopted. Leave out the two species of Fescue, and substitute
similar quantities of Poa nemoralis. Indeed, P, nemoralis
angustifolium is the best of all grasses to produce a beautiful
sward under trees, its growth being so close that it displaces
weeds, and it is green in spring earlier than most other
grasses ; and as it also does well in exposed places, it may
be made “ a note of,” for any one in a state of distress at the
shabbiness of a lawn. Another most useful lawn grass is
Loliurn perenne tenue ; but, as it is the twin brother of that
very worst of lawn grasses, Lolium jperenne, or common rye
grass, care must be taken to obtain the right sort. It thrives
on almost any soil that is not wet, and is delightfully fresh all
the winter.

TREE VIOLIN

CHAPTER XVII.

GARDEN TERM IN.

The best general advice that can be given on tbe subject of
garden vermin would be to this effect — grow your plants well,
and you will be very little troubled with vermin. We need
not discuss the philosophy of the matter, but matter of fact
it is, that healthy vigorous vegetation is rarely assailed by
destroying insects, and on the other hand, vegetation in a
diseased or starving state will be attacked by many plagues,
including moulds and mildews, in addition to aphis, thrip,
scale, and red spider. We may safely say that amateurs
frequently invite the small marauders by their mismanage¬
ment, but it would be unjust to say that the outbreak of a
plague in the garden is invariably an evidence of the culti¬
vator’s neglect or error. It is, however, of the utmost
importance for the amateur to bear in mind that in any
and every case an insect enemy is to be met in the first
instance by any means that will promote the vigour of the plants
attacked. In order the more clearly to be understood, let us
suppose that we are requested to advise on a plantation of
roses infested with green-fly, mildew, and thrip. We will
further suppose that the weather has been hot and dry for
some time, and that the leaves of the rose-trees are yellowish,
and the growth of the season is pushing in a weak and wiry
manner, instead of rising in strong shoots, indicative of a
vigorous root action, what should we advise in such a case ?
Just such a course of procedure as follows : — Eirst soak the
roots well every alternate evening for a week, each separate
soaking to be an imitation of the deluge. On the evenings
when thefe is no water given to the roots, give them a heavy
shower from a powerful engine, taking care to send the water
with some force through the heads of the trees, so as to
drench the under as well as the upper sides of the foliage.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

271

At the end of the week give one more heavy soaking, and
the next day spread over the ground amongst the trees a
coating of rotten manure ; or a mixture of fine earth and
guano ; or a mixture of guano, wood-ashes, and earth. This
course of treatment would annihilate the vermin, and put
new vigour into the trees, and establish a most valuable rule
for future action, founded on this fact, that pure soft water is
the most potent of all insecticides .

Let us suppose another case. Say a lot of asters, stocks,
or solanums in a pit or frame, smothered with green-fly. If
we had to advise upon them, we should first consider the
state of the weather. If still cold and unsettled, we would
syringe the plants with a weak solution of “ Fowler’s Insec¬
ticide,” and give the roots a soaking of weak manure water.
But if we could trust the weather, we should advise the
planting of them out in the open ground, with a good
watering to follow to start them into growth, and escape the
trouble and expense of employing a preparation. They would
“ grow out ” of fly, as we say in garden phraseology, and
almost by magic become clean and thrifty.

But it will frequently happen that vermin will attack
plants that appear to be in perfect health, and in such a case
the resort to invigorating measures may appear to be a
misdirection of our energies. At the risk of appearing
tedious, we will here remark that plants, apparently full of
vigour, may be suddenly debilitated by excessive heat or
drought, and in such a case invigorating measures may be
really needed, although there are no striking evidences in the
appearance of the plant of an impoverishment of its juices.
Therefore we propose that the cultivator should be cautious
against delusions, and as much as possible make it a rule to
invigorate the plant that is beset with vermin, as the first
step towards a purification.

However, one way or another, we come to nostrums at
last, and the first amongst many that we shall recommend for
general adoption, is —

Hot Water, which we have proved, by numerous experi¬
ments, to be more efficacious than cold water as a vermin
killer, and a perfectly safe insecticide if employed in a sensible
manner. The u monarch of all I survey ” in the world of
plant- vermin is the Aphis. How, hot water will unseat this
king and lay him in the dust. All vermin love dirt and hate

272

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

water; but this potentate particularly objects to a warm bath
as poison to him. Beware, however, that in scalding him to
death you do not parboil your plants. Any plant in a growing
state may be dipped into water heated to 120° Fahr. without
the slightest harm, and if kept in a state of immersion a few
seconds, every aphis upon it will surely perish. In a series of
experiments carefully conducted in our garden at Stoke New¬
ington, we found that fuchsias in a growing state were unhurt
if immersed in water heated to 140° Fahr. ; that at the same
temperature, calceolarias and Chinese primulas were seriously
injured; that pelargoniums of all kinds were unhurt if
plunged for several minutes in water heated to 150°; that
centaureas, sedums, saxifragas, heliotropes, petunias, be¬
gonias, mignonette, and many other plants of soft texture,
could endure a temperature of 140° without the slightest
harm ; but at 150° they suffered more or less. About ten
years ago we reported in the u Floral World” that Fairy or
Lawrence roses, which are grown in quantities in pots for
market, could be best kept clean by dipping in hot water, as
at 120° the plant is not injured, and every aphis upon it is
destroyed. This simple method of removing vermin from
plants is, we are quite satisfied, capable of very general
adoption, in place of more troublesome and more expensive
plans.

Tobacco Powder, as prepared by the sanction of the
Excise, we place next in order of value, for it is cheap, con¬
venient, and cleanly in use, harmless to vegetation, but most
deadly to aphis and thrips. There appears to be no impor¬
tant difference of value between “Pooley’s,” “ The London,”
“ Fowler’s,” and other preparations ; but in any case tobacco
powder should emit an unmistakable odour of sulphur, for
while the Excise require it to be spoilt for use as snuff, the
addition of sulphur greatly increases its efficiency as a
vermin destroyer. Tobacco powder should be dusted on
the leaves of the infested plant when they are damp with
dew, and should be washed off twelve hours afterwards.

The best of the many liquid preparations offered to a
“ discerning public,” are the Aphis Wash, manufactured by
the “ City Soap Company,” and Fowler’s Insecticide. It
is sufficient to say of them that they must be employed in
strict accordance with the printed directions that accompany
them, and that they are equally safe and effectual.

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GAR DELL

278

One of the most destructive insects the gardener has to
wage war against is the “ Daddy Longlegs ” (Tijpula oleracea),
the grub of which may be likened to a minute sausage of a
black colour, with almost invisible feet. This “ leather-
jacket ” wretch feeds at the surface of the soil ; usually above
ground, never below. The result of this marauding is that
the plants he feeds upon are nipped through “ between
wind and water,” as a sailor would say, and they perish very
soon afterwards, very much sometimes to the bewilderment
of the inexperienced gardener. This is a most difficult pest
to deal with, and unfortunately it occurs in profuse abun¬
dance in some seasons, and is so very partial to grass turf,
that it will pretty well destroy a lawn in the course of a week
or two if allowed. When garden plants are seen to fall over
mysteriously, the cultivator should carefully stir the earth
about their roots, to hunt up the dark leather-jacket buried in
the soil, an inch or so deep. If he is found to be the cause of
the death of the plant, the best course to pursue will be to hoe
the soil carefully all over the bed, and finally to remove the
soil with a piece of stick, so as to form a shallow basin around
every plant. This simple course of procedure is remarkably
effective in reducing the numbers of the daddy-longlegs
grubs, and we are quite unable to explain the reason why ;
though we have always supposed that the small birds, the
robins perhaps in particular, having a propensity to examine
newly-disturbed soil, make a rush to the bed that has been
operated upon in this way, and find the leather-jackets before
they have time to hide themselves in new burrows. When
these marauders take possession of a lawn and threaten to
destroy it, they can be dealt with in a most direct and des¬
tructive manner. Every night the lawn should be rolled with
a heavy roller, and every morning at earliest dawn the lawn
should be sprinkled with quicklime. The roller will crush
myriads that have come out to feed, and the lime will kill
myriads that have escaped the roller.

It is by no means an unwise plan to feed some kinds of
vermin, for that plan, when it can be adopted conveniently,
makes an end of a vast amount of bother. For example, we
are about to plant out a bed of dahlias, and we know that
snails and slugs will pounce upon them the very first night
they are planted, and probably make an end of them for ever.
To prevent that, we plant the whole piece with lettuces first,

274

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

and so long as tlie lettuce lasts, the snails and slugs will not
touch a dahlia. There is much to be done in this way with¬
out incurring the risk of multiplying the vermin on a place,
because your provisions may be turned to account as traps,
and by examining the lettuces every night by the aid of a
lamp, you may bag all the snails in the district, and at the
end of the undertaking have a lot of nice lettuce for the table.
For a last word, we say, encourage the small birds, for they
are wonderful aids to the amateur gardener as destroyers of
insects. The sparrows may perhaps vex you by nibbling
your crocuses, and the blackbirds may steal your cherries ;
but remember they cannot trouble you in this sort of way all
the year round. They will be gobbling up snails and cater¬
pillars and butterflies in the dewy dawn, when you perhaps
are sleeping and unhappily unconscious of the benefactions of
your feathered friends.

To catch and kill vermin must be the constant duty of
every amateur gardener. The large marauders, such as
snails and woodlice, will never cease from troubling, and it
may be matter for thankfulness that they pronounce a dread
sentence against the gardener who, in the midst of work>
goes to sleep. You must catch the vagabonds. Go to work
in this way. Lay little heaps of lettuce leaves in cool, quiet
places, and examine them at dusk and daybreak. Catch and
kill in any way you please :a pot of brine is a very good bath
for the purpose. Lay about also in the neighbourhood of choice
subjects to which snails are partial, nice young cabbage
leaves slightly smeared with rank butter ; catch and kill as
before. Lay about in cool quiet spots small heaps of fresh
brewers’ grains ; catch and kill as before. Where woodlice
abound, take some dirty flower-pots (always combine a little
dirt of some sort with vermin traps, for vermin are extrava¬
gantly fond of dirt), and fill these dirty flower-pots with dry
moss and crocks mixed together. Place them where the
vermin abound, and cover each with a tuft of dry moss.
Every other day, proceed to catch and kill in this simple
manner. Have a large pailful of boiling water. Take up a
pot quietly, and quickly shoot out its contents into the water.
You clear away your enemies by thousands in this way ; there
is no trap to equal a dirty pot filled with dirty crocks, and
dirty (but dry) moss. If there arises any peculiar difficulty,
such as a choice plant being eaten nightly, and you cannot

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN-.

275

catch the marauder, take a slice of apple, and surround it
with dry moss, in a flower-pot. Take also a slice of potato,
and use it in the same way. Place these two pots one
on each side of your delicate subject, but at a distance
of six inches or so, and at dusk and dawn turn out the
contents of each pot quickly, and it will be a strange thing if
the marauder is not bagged.

GARDEN TOOL-HOUSE AND READING-ROOM,

CHAPTER XVIII.

ADDITIONAL SELECTIONS.

In the several chapters and their proper sections are included
lists of the most distinct and useful species and varieties of
garden plants. But the lists that follow may prove accept¬
able as supplementary to the foregoing, as adapted to par¬
ticular cases.

A few Hardy Plants for Walls and Boarded Fences.
— . Pyracantha , most beautiful in autumn, with its fiery berries.
Virginian Creeper ; the small-leaved sorts are the best. Aris-
tolochia , fine large leaves ; requires a warm aspect. Dutch
Honeysuckle and Scarlet Trumpet Honeysuckle . Clematis
flammula , best adapted for arbours and gateways. Clematis
rubro-violacea , splendid flowers. Pyrus japonica , will flower
freely on a north wall. Ivies, in variety, the most handsome
being common Irish , common English , Algerian , and the
Thick-leaved ; the variegated-leaved ivies are sumptuous wall
plants, well adapted for north and west aspects.

Cheap and Hardy Plants for Shady Borders. — All the
double and single Primulas , Polyanthuses , Auriculas , and
Pansies ; Solomon's Seal ; Periwinkles in variety ; Anemone
viti folia ; Columbines in variety; Aspidistra lurida ; Puscus
aculeatus ; Campanula carpatica and pumila ; Lily of the
Valley ; Punkia Sieboldiana , and half-a-dozen others. Christ¬
mas Hose ; Day Lily ; Yellow Moneywort and Lysimachia
thyrsiflora ; Porget-me-not ; Double Narciss and Hoop -Petti¬
coat Harciss ; (Enothera rip aria ; Polemonium cceruleum ;
Saxifraga hypnoides , oppositifolia , and several others ; Scilla
campanulata; Symphitum coccineum ; Spider-wort; Spiraea
japonica .

A Selection of Trees and Shrubs for Entrance
Courts. — Deciduous Trees of moderate growth : White¬
leaved He gun do ( Acer fraxini folium, var.) ; Cut-leaved Alder ;

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN. 277

Snowy -Mespilus ; Common Almond; Double-flowering Teach;
Berberis asiatica ; Common Birch; Bird Cherry; Variegated
Dogwood {Cornus mascula variegata) ; Cotoneaster Simmondsi;
Common Laburnum; Tersian and Common Lilac ; Deutzia
scabra ; Euonymus europceus (will thrive in the deepest shade
of large trees) ; Common and Venetian Sumach. Evergreen
Trees and Shrubs : Aucuba japonica ; Berberis Darwini ;
Common Tree Box and Bound-leaved Box ; Euonymus japonic^
and its golden-leaved varieties (a splendid series) ; Green and
Variegated Dollies; Chinese Trivet; Thillyrea ; Dolly-leaved
Evergreen Dale; Skimmi a japonica; Laurestinus .

A few good Hardy Flowering Plants for a Small
Garden. — All the sorts named in this list require sunshine,
more or less, but in situations where there is a free circulation
of air, the partial shade of a few neighbouring trees will
scarcely affect them. Achillea filipendula , and A. gtarmica ;
Agrostemma coronaria; Alyssum sax at He ; Anemone japonica,
and A. stellata ; Antirrhinums in variety, for dry sunny spots ;
Columbines in variety; Common White Arabis ; Armeria
dianthioides ; Arundo conspicua ; Aster elegans, and A. amellus ;
Turple Aubrietia ; Callirhoe involucrata ; Campamda carpatica,
C. glomerata , C. persicifolia , and C. pyramidalis ; Corydalis
aurea ; Delphinium formosum ; D. Dendersoni, and others.
Dianthus plnmarius , D. liybridus, Common Clove , and Pinks in
variety. Eryngium amethystinum ; Eritillaria imperialis ;
Delianthus multijlorus ; Depaticas in variety. Iberis semper -
virens ; German Iris in variety. White Everlasting Tea makes
a grand covering for a mound. Dybrid Clematis , in variety
make splendid beds, requiring only once planting for a life¬
time. Lilies in variety, the most desirable being Common
White , Longijlora , Scarlet Mart agon, Tigrinum , Dxcelsum , and
Bulbiferum ; Lychnis dioica rubra and L. viscaria plena.
(Enothera fruticosa and CE. macrocarpa ; Tapaver bracteatum ;
Dybrid Phlox , in variety ; Hybrid Totentilla , in variety ;
Primula acaulis and elatior , in variety ; Hybrid Pyrethrums ,
in variety; Hollyhocks , in variety; Spircea filipendula, S.
venusta , and S. palmata ; Tritoma uvaria ; Trollius asiaticus.

Hardy Plants for Water Scenes. — Butomus umbellatus,
flowering Hush ; Caltha palustris flore pleno , double marsh
Marigold ; Calla palustris, marsh Trumpet Lily ; Iris pseudo -
a corns, yellow Water-flag ; I. Sibirica, Siberian Iris ; Sagit -
iaria sagittifolia, common Arrowhead ; S. corclifulia, heart-

278

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

leaved Arrowhead ; Menyanthes trifoliata , three-leaved Buck-
bean ; Ly thrum salicaria , willow-leaved Loosestrife ; Narthecium
ossifmgum , Lancashire Asphodel ; Potamogeton natans , floating
Pond- weed ; Villarsia nymphceoides , lily-like Villarsia ; Acorus
calamus, sweet Flag ; Arundo donax , Reed-grass ; Carex
maxima , greater Sedge ; Scirpus rcidicans , Club-rush ; Gomarum
palustre , marsh Cinquefoil ; Cyperus longus , tall Sedge ; (7.
virens , green Sedge ; Juncus conglomerate variegate, varie¬
gated Rush ; P. effusus spiralis , spiral soft Rush ; Lysimachia
thyrsijlora, thyrse-flowered Lysimachia ; Nasturtium sylvestris,
woodland Water-cress ; Nuphar lutea , yellow Water Lily ;
Nymphcea alba , white Water Lily; Pilularia globulifera ,
globular Pillwort; Poa aqnatica, Water-grass; Sparganium
ramosum , branching Bur Reed ; $. minimum , lesser Bur Reed ;
Stratiotes aloides, Water Soldier ; Typha latifolia , broad-leaved
Reed-mace.

Hardy Herbaceous Plants for planting on Rockeries.
— Ajuga reptans variegata , creeping Bugle ; Linaria cyrnba-
laria , Ivy-leaved Toadflax ; JDianthus petroeus , Rock Pink :
JDiotis maritima , seaside Diotis ; JDoudia ( Hacguetia ) epipactis,
yellow Doudia ; Geranium sanguineum , blood-flowered Gera¬
nium ; 6r. Lambertianum , Lambert’s Geranium ; 6r. striatum ,
striated Geranium; Nepeta violacea , Violet Mint; Ononis
rotundifolia , round-leaved Rest-harrow ; Aubrietia erubescens,
blush-flowered Aubrietia; Lraba aizoides , Whitlow Grass;
D. borealis , Northern Whitlow Grass ; Iberis corroeafolia ,
Corrcea-leaved Candytuft ; Zealandica , New-Zealand

Acaena ; Potentilla nemoralis, Wood Cinquefoil ; P. alpestris,
alpine Cinquefoil ; Statice armeria alpina , alpine Thrift ;
bellidifolia , daisy-leaved Thrift ; $. eximia , choice Thrift ;
Lotus corniculatus minimus , small Bird’s-foot Trefoil ; L. c.
flore pleno, double-flowered small Bird’s-foot Trefoil; Lychnis
dioica , disecious Lychnis ; P. Chalcedonica , Chalcedonian
Lychnis ; L. flos Jovis, Jove’s Lychnis ; Agrostemma giihago ,
Corn Cockle ; A. coronaria , Rose Campion ; Antirrhinum
majus (in var.) Antirrhinum ; A. sempervirens, everlasting1
Antirrhinum ; Soldanella alpina , alpine Shilling Leaf.

Hardy Herbaceous Plants for Dry Barren Places. —
Aspidistra lurida variegata , lurid Shield Lily, handsome leaves ;
Sternbergia lutea , autumn Crocus ; Othonna clieirifolia , wall¬
flower-leaved Ragwort; Lryngium amethystinum, amethyst
Sea Holly ; Oxalis corniculata rubra , pure-leaved Horned

THE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

279

Oxalis ; Trifolium reverts var. nigrescens , black-leaved Clover ;
Silene alpestris , alpine Catchfly ; Megasea rubra , broad-leaved
Saxifrage; M . ciliata , hairy, broad-leaved Saxifrage ; M. cor -
difolia , heart-shaped-leaved Saxifrage ; bicolor , two-

colonred Starwort ; Linaria alpina , alpine Toadflax ; Anten-
nvria alpina , alpine Everlasting ; H. dioica , dioecious Ever¬
lasting ; Ferula asperifolia , Giant Fennel ; Fryngium JBourgati ,
Sea Holly ; Yucca recurva , recurved Adam’s Needle; Y. glo »
nosa, glorious Adam’s Needle ; Y. filamentosa , thready Adam’s
Needle ; Am reticulata , reticulated Iris ; Santolina sguarrosa ,
lavender Cotton ; $. chamesc yp arissus, ground Cypress ;
viridis , dark green lavender Cotton ; TLeliantliemum venustum ,
comely S unrose ; AT. serpliyllum (in var.), thyme-leaved Sun-
rose ; H. rosmarinifolium , rosemary-leaved Sunrose ; AA tubu-
rarium , Italian rosemary-leaved Sunrose ; AT. globularicefolium ,
globular-leaved Sunrose ; Flymus arenarius , Lyme-grass ; A7.
mexicanus , Mexican Lyme-grass ; Arabis lucida , shining
Arabis.

CHAPTER XIX.

REMINDERS OF .MONTHLY WORK.

January. — Earth-work and improvements must be regu¬
lated by the weather, but at every opportunity must be pushed
on with all possible speed, for there will soon be other work to
do. Stack up turf for composts. Spread a mulch of half-rotten
manure amongst newly-planted shrubs and roses. Benovate
flower-beds by deep digging and manuring. Prepare beds
for ranunculuses and anemones. Any autumn-planted bulbs
that are pushing through should be covered with a sufficiency
of earth to protect them for awhile from sev ere frost.

February. — Finish planting deciduous trees as soon as
weather permits, and complete alterations and improvements.
This is a good time to form rockeries, repair roads, put down
edgings, and make new lawns. Herbaceous plants may be
divided and transplanted. Plant ranunculuses and anemones.
Sow hardy annuals in the borders, and a few in frames to be
transplanted for an early bloom.

March. — Beds and borders requiring to be cleaned must
be carefully dealt with, to spare from injury any plants that
are pushing through. The routine plan of digging mixed
borders in spring is simply destructive of the good plants
they contain. It is no wonder that pgeonies, dielytras, del¬
phiniums, and other good things that hide themselves in winter,
invariably vanish from borders so treated. Plant herbaceous
plants. Sow seeds of annuals and perennials. Look over
rose-beds to make stakes safe, and tread firm any that are
loose at the roots. Carefully hoe the top crust amongst tulips,
pansies, and other choice subjects that are planted in beds.
When the pansies have been cleaned, peg down the main
branches, and strew over the bed a mixture of fine earth and
rotten manure to promote surface roots.

April. — Prune ivy to one layer of branches, and remove

THE AMATEUR S FLOWER GARDEN.

281

all the leaves. The new growth will follow instantly, and ho
even and rich; continue to sow seeds of hardy subjects in
open borders, and of tender subjects in frames. Part chry¬
santhemums, and strike cuttings of sorts that are required in
quantity. Plant dahlia roots. Plant Tigridia bulbs. When
tulips are frozen hard, water them with cold water before the
sun shines on them.

Mat. — Sow in open borders asters, balsams, and other
half-hardy subjects and hardy annuals to succeed the early
sowings. Plant dwarf roses out of pots ; this being one of
the best methods of forming a plantation, secure them on
their own roots if possible. Thin and stake flowering shoots
of carnations and pinks. Bedding out should not commence
until towards the end of the month, unless the plants are
known to be well hardened.

June. — Bedding out is the principal business now. Take
the plants in the order of their relative hardiness, so as to
keep back to the last moment all the more tender subjects,
such as coleus, alternanthera, etc. Keep lawns in the best order
possible, and in the event of prolonged dry weather, flood
them with water at least once a week. If the grass is thin
and poor, remove the box from the mowing machine, that the
mowings may be scattered. Strike pipings of carnations and
pinks. Strike' cuttings of pansies from the young shoots.
Stake and mulch dahlias. Look over mixed borders, and
provide supports for plants that are likely to be blown over.

July. — Watering is an important business now. As a rule
geraniums, centaureas, antirrhinums, lantanas, salvias, sedums,
and sempervivums planted out thrive better without artificial
watering than with it, though when first planted, one or two
good soakings may be needed to give them a start. On the
other hand, calceolarias, cannas, coleus, dahlias, hollyhocks,
carnations, lobelias, heliotropes, and verbenas, will be benefited
by copious watering in dry weather, but mere surface driblets
will rather injure than advance their welfare. Bud roses.
Layer carnations. Take cuttings of bedding plants as fast as
they can be obtained of a proper size and substance, and
strike them without aid of artificial heat. Put earwig traps
on dahlia stakes.

August. — Propagate bedding plants in quantity. Plant
out carnations and pinks that were struck early from pipings.
Sow seeds of hardy perennials. This is a good time to sow

282

TIIE AMATEUR’S FLOWER GARDEN.

grass seeds for the formation of new lawns, but if turf is to
laid, wait until next month.

September. — Lay down grass turf. Plant box-edgings, and
all kinds of evergreen shrubs. Prepare for planting bulbs.
All kinds of lilies may now be transplanted. This is the best
time for striking cuttings of calceolarias. Plant hardy her¬
baceous plants.

October. — Plant hardy bulbs and tubers of all kinds. Look
over chrysanthemums to insure their timely and sufficient
supports. Take up pompones required for “ plunge beds,” and
pot them, taking care to injure the roots as little as possible.

November. — Keep chrysanthemums in good order, and
securely staked. Remove into pits and frames all the nearly
hardy plants that require shelter, not so much because of
danger from frost as yet, but to protect them from heavy rains.
Provide protection for plants of questionable hardiness that
cannot be removed to frames. Take up dahlia roots as soon
as the tops are killed by frost. Plant standard roses and
briers for budding next season. Continue to plant bulbs.
Plant deciduous trees of all kinds.

December. — Finish planting bulbs. Hyacinths, tulips, and
narcissi planted now will flower well in April next. There
must, however, be no delay, or the season will be lost. Cut
down hardy fuchsias. Spread a thin coat of dry flaky manure
over beds of choice pansies, carnations, pinks, tulips, pent-
stemons and phloxes, both to protect from frost, and afford
nourishment by the solvent action of snow on the manure.

SFERGULA TUEF (AKENAMA CJESFITOSA)*

INDEX,

Achillea, 10-4
Aconitum, 104
Adonis, 104
Agapanthus, 104
Ageratum, 65
Agrostemma, 104
Allium, 105
Alpine garden, 246
Alstrsemeria, 105
Alternanthera, 66
Alyssum, 105
Amaranthus, 66
American cowslip, 126
American garden, 216
Andromeda, 218
Anemone, 106
Annuals, 188
Antirrhinum, 106
Arabis, 108
Armeria, 108
Aspects, uses of, 11
Aster, 108, 177
Astilbe japonica, 109
Aubrietia, 109
Auricula, 110
Azalea, 218

Balsam, 179
Bedding plants, 33, 46
Beet, ornamental, 67
Biennials, 188
Bouvardia, 67
Bouquet grasses, 256
Boxes for bedding plants
57

Box embroidery, 16
Bulbs for parterre, 35

Caltha, 112
Calceolaria, 68
Camassia, 112
Campanula, 112
Carnation, 116
Celandine, 127
Cineraria maritima, 71
Clematis, 71
Centaurea, 70
Chrysanthemum, 112
Chrysocoma, 114
Clove, 118
Colchicum, 114
Coleus, 72
Coloured gravels, 16
Colour in parterre, 17, 41
Convallaria, 114
Corydalis, 114
Cradle for hardening, 61
Crocus, 38, 115
Crown Imperial, 127
Cuttings, to strike, 50

Dahlia, 180, 229
Daisy, 111
Delphinium, 115
Dianthus, 116
Dielytra, 125
Digitalis, 126, 193
Dominant colours, 19, 43

Echeveeia, 73
Edgings, 12, 93
i, Elephant trap, 14
Entrance court, 29
Erica, 218
Erythronium, 126

Everlasting flowers, 256
Everlasting pea, 140
Exhibition roses, 213

Eicaeia, 127
Flower-beds, 15, 62
Flower-garden, 4
Fountain, 253
Foxglove, 126, 193
Frames for bedder3, 59,
199

Fritillaria, 127
Fuchsia, 73
Fumitory, 114, 125
Funkia, 127

GAEDEN plan, 7
Gentiana, 128
Geometric garden, 16
Geo-thermal culture, 224
Geranium, 80, 130
Gladiolus, 130
Golden Feather, 88
Grass turf, 262
Grasses for bouquets, 256
Greenhouse and pit, 48
Gypsophila, 132

Haedy boedee plow-
EES, 94

Harmonies in colour, 19
Helianthemum, 132
Helianthus, 133
Heliotrope, 74
Helleborus, 133
Hemerocallis, 133
Hepatica, 133

284

INDEX,

Herbaceous plants, 97,
103

Hollyhock, 134
Hotbed, 174
Hyacinth, 38, 135

Iberis, 37
Indian pink, 73
Iresine, 74

Kalmia, 218

I.ATHYRUS, 140
Lychnis, 144
Lilium, 140
Lysimachia, 144
Ly thrum, 144
Lantana, 75
Larkspur, 115
Lawn, 262
Layers, 119
Laying out, 7
Leaf-colouring, 17, 31
Lily of the Talley, 114
Lobelia, 75, 182

Marigold, 77
Marvel of Peru, 184
Meconopsis, 144
Mesembryanthemum, 78
Mimulus, 144
Moneywort, 144
Muscari, 145
Myosotis, 146

Narcissus, 146
Nierembergia, 78

(Enothera, 147

Pjeonia, 147
Pansy, 79
Parterre, 15
Papaver, 149
Parquet planting, 27
Pea, everlasting, 140
Peat, artificial, 217

Pelargonium, 23, 80
Pentstemon, 85, 149
Perpetual flower garden,
238

Perilla, 87
Petunia, 86
Picotee, 118
Pink, 118
Pipings, 120
Phlox, 87, 150
Picturesque gardening,
225

Picturesque plants, 230
Plans of gardens, 7
Plant houses, 47
Planting the parterre,
17, 63

Plunging system, 233
Polyanthus, 151
Polygonatum, 153
Poppy, 149
Portulacca, 88
Potentilla, 153
Preservative pit, 47
Primrose, 154
Primula, 153
Propagating bedders, 50
Propagating frame, 55
Pyre thrum, 88, 155

Ranunculus, 156
Ribbon planting, 24
Rhododendron, 217
Roads and walks, 10
Rockery, 246
Rose garden, 201
Roses, classified, 204, 213
Rudbeckia, 157

Saponaria, 157
Saxifraga, 157
S cilia, 158
Sedum, 159
Seeds, to save, 99
Sempervivum, 159
Silene, 162
Sisyrinchium, 162

Shelter, to secure, 226
Shrubs under trees, 13
Solidago, 163
Smilacina, 163
Snowdrop, 38
Solomon’s seal, 153
Spergula lawn, 267
Spiraea, 163
Spring flowers, 34
Standard roses, 204
Statice, 163
Stock, 175
Sweet William, 123
Subtropical garden, 223
Subtropical plants, 234
Symphitum, 163

Tagetes signata, 77
Tender border flowers,
175

Tessellated colouring, 30
Thalictrum, 163
Thrift, 108
Tigridia, 164
Tradescantia, 164
Tritileia, 164
Tritonia, 164
Trollius, 165
Tropseolum, 88
Tulip, 38, 165
Turf-pit, 199

Verbena, 90
Veronica, 169
Vermin, 270
Vinca, 170
Viola, 92, 170

Wall-paper designs, 15
Wallflower, 171
Walks and roads, 10
Water scenes, 252
Winter bouquets.

Winter groups, 239
Winter protection, 106

Zinnia, 187

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